So after all is said and done / I know I'm not the only one

I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly superstitious person. I don't care about walking under ladders, I don't see what the big fuss is regarding black cats, and I'm of the opinion that the only thing you should be worried about if you break a mirror is that you don't cut yourself on the glass.

That being said, I have just received a parcel from my mum, containing among other things a purple beaded bracelet. You know the sort, they were really popular in the nineties and the different coloured ones meant different things. I had several, but my favourite one was my amethyst one (because that's my birth stone), and because it means 'intelligence', I decided I would wear it for good luck when I did the 11+ exam in my last year of primary school. And I passed. Since then I've worn it in every exam I've taken. The only times I've forgotten to wear it? I failed the exams I was sitting.

Needless to say I've become quite superstitious regarding this cheap piece of jewellery, and upon realising I hadn't thought to bring it to uni with me, there was a frantic email to my mum requesting that she send it up to me asap. Part of me feels kind of silly about the whole thing; deep down I think I know that whether I'm wearing a particular bracelet or not won't really affect my performance in an exam, but I'll wear it anyway to be on the safe side.

And as for the relevance of the song I included...way back in, I think it was year 10, my friend and I discovered the cheesiest thing that ever cheesed, aka "Not Too Young, Not Too Old" by Aaron Carter. If you listen to the lyrics, it really is a pretty naff song, but it's also incredibly catchy. My friend and I found ourselves actually coming to like it and for some reason, although I don't remember why now, we started singing it one time when we were waiting to go in for our mock English exam. After that it became something of a tradition; we would always make sure we sang it because it was funny and kept us relaxed. Again, the one time we forgot to sing it, for our mock English A Level, neither of us did particularly well. Coincidence? I don't know...

I don't understand why people get so upset by things like breaking a mirror, but I'll tolerate their superstitions because I can relate to them, silly as it may be.