To Share or Not to Share?: The Social Media Jinx

I had a rebellious adolescence and youth in terms of fighting societal norms. It wasn't like I was staging protests, like the Ziddi Girls on Prime, but there were many beliefs that I did not agree with and I either wrote poems about them and got them published in newspapers or did my thing violating them, with my own right mind.

One of them was fighting superstitions, particularly nonsensical ones, like the one associated with black cats. There is a common belief in India, that if a black cat crosses your path, you should retrace your steps and wait until someone else walks over it and not walk over it yourself if you want to avoid extreme misfortune.

However, apparently black cats are considered lucky in Khasi tradition and hence there were several well cared for black cats that roamed around where we lived in Shillong. One of them used to live in Upland Road and regularly cross my path while going to school in the morning from New Colony to St. Mary's. I used to always walk over that and nothing untoward ever happened. I proudly proclaimed to whoever mattered that 'See, it's a lie, nothing happens when a black cat crosses your path'. The animal lover in me found great satisfaction in breaking that myth first hand.

In recent times, my belief about superstitions have changed to some extent though. I am sure many of you have experienced the social media jinx. I have seen few friends share about it in good humor. But let me narrate you few of my personal experiences and you can share yours too.

A lot of times, when I shared pictures during vacations especially ones with the family, something very untoward happened within twenty-four hours. 😀  In New Orleans, we broke into a humongous fight in a hotel room out of nowhere and for no good reason that I can even remember, in Florence we were not even on talking terms, in Maine I hit my forehead so hard on a wooden bar below a staircase, that Milo trembled with the sound, in Virgin Islands I fell and slided on cobblestone, in a sudden spell of rain that lasted two seconds, badly bruising my fingers and knees and completely smashing my phone screen. Deep i my heart, I know these are all coincidences, but they set in my mind the fear that my mother always tried to instill - " Facebook ot besi nidibi, maaje maaje dibi, manuhor mukh laagibo'. It finally resonated!!! 😄

Since then, although I still regularly hit the share button out of a compulsive disorder like others in my generation, I have been wary!! The final straw in the hat was when I once shared pictures of my two Impatient plants that were thriving and covered in pink and orange blooms all over. Within two days, they shriveled into nothingness!! I made it a point to not share pictures of my plants and vegetables as much, even if I was shared my own 😁

Let me know if you have had similar experiences in the comments.