I wrote a piece called Lucky in July 2008. I had wanted to illustrate it with a four-leaved clover, the symbol of luck. I had never found one, though in my dreamy childhood, I must have spent hours searching for them, especially when deployed as a fielder near the boundary of a cricket field. Perhaps suitable pictures to illustrate my blog post were rare too, because I had to make do with a knitted imitation, as you’ll see by following the link above. I thought they must be as rare as unicorns or flying pigs, depicted by artists but never photographed.
But then I went on a ten-mile cross-country walk with my new brother from the land of Kiwis. See my earlier post, “Under the Umbrella Tree. Our goal was a 900-year-old pub. For all its beauties, New Zealand can’t have many many ancient pubs, and it would take many miles walking to find a pub at all. Perhaps the next best thing in England, after its public houses, is its network of public footpaths. They are sacred. You can’t build over them: they snake their ancient way through vast new housing developments. You can’t refuse public access when they run through your property, even when it’s the breeding season for pheasant or grouse, or you when you are pasturing animals that might stampede if chased by a loose dog.
These days, dog-walkers are the main users of footpaths, so Michael was looking carefully where he put his feet, and that’s how he found the clover-leaves. We might have picked many more, but a curious dog caught up with us, followed by its equally curious walker, to whom we gave one of our clovers, for luck. We were planning to keep the others, but they easily fall out of your buttonhole, and we need no talisman to prove our luck. Luckily though, I had my camera handy, and it shows we found a five-leaved clover too.
This morning I had the mad idea to go back to that footpath, armed with a trowel. I’m pretty sure I could find the spot, and take the magic plant back to my own backyard. But of itself, it carries no luck, being nothing but an angelic message to remind us, if needed, that luck is the pivot of all the turning-points in our lives. By definition, we can do nothing to control luck.
All we can do is spot it, and seize it while we can.
PS on Saturday 14th July 2018:
If Evolution is right, and Genesis is a bunch of myths which served their purpose at the time, then the fact we are here at all, gazing in wonder at Creation, can only be put down to Luck. The whole thing from the Big Bang down to the origin of species and the ability of one species to improve or mess up one planet, is the result of chance encounters—like the meeting of parents who begat you and me. And the major influence on these events? Randomness, chaos. Or, as I like to see it, Luck.
a wayfarer’s notes 
PS I have written here about the same pub.
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I like the notion of a 4-leaved shamrock as an angelic message. I think in slightly different terms, would probably receive it as an oracle, a promise of a particular kind “you will receive luck!” Which is really the same, isn't it? I think only our terms are different…
I seem to perceive oracles all around these days. My local friends would probably see it as evidence of insanity. I'm coming to think that oracles surround us, that the whispers are common. What is uncommon these days is listening.
In my life they're typically small things: reminders, twinges of “intuition”, sudden bits of understanding that come like blessings.
Did you or he have any sense of what this good luck would touch?
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Well, to me it was just a confirmation and I didn't for a moment see it as a harbinger of anything yet to come. He may have thought differently but didn't say so.
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I'd like to give another example of an angelic message, to illustrate my interpretation (though I don't dispute anyone's interpretation of anything). It's from a blog, where, if I understand her correctly, the author has been feeling her age, and life's tedium, etc. An older woman, a stranger, meets her outside church and out of the blue says “You are SUCH a beautiful girl”.
To me this is a typical act of a messenger angel: to remind us of something, whether it be the miracle of good luck in general or one's own beauty. In cases like these, it is being reminded that somehow makes it true.
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Vincent,
How lucky you are! I have never found a four-leaf clover in my life. Every time, I tried to find it with a group of friends, someone always said, “I found it!” But I’ve never known about a five leaved clover, and I’m very surprised to see it. I have to show the photo to other people. I envy you.
Just now, I showed the photo to a young woman. She was very impressed with it, so I showed her your photo from your reunion. She said you are very handsome. I agree with her.
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Thanks Keiko! My sister wanted to print my post “under the umbrella tree” to show a friend, but objected strongly to the photo in my profile, and pretty much insisted I remove it. I refused, but printed her a copy without the profile pic.
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Hi Vincent
Footpaths and public houses, what excellent treasures!
I agree that we can't control the objective contents of our fate. But I have at times experienced long episodes of controlling the subjective contents, in other words the pleasure of enjoying whatever happens. Of course it is an ability that can be lost in the blink of an eye.
ciao,
Raymond
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Not such a rare breed after all. could it be an angelic evolutionary aberration?
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ZACL: yes it could certainly be an angelic evolutionary aberration. But just remind me: what is an angelic evolutionary aberration?
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As it is on your plane, I will allow you to develop your own theories to your query.
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Raymond, when are you coming over to taste these excellent treasures?
And the pleasure of enjoying whatever happens, in a place like this?
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Vincent, I don't think I've ever found a four-leafed clover. I did find a three-leaf clover before my trip to New Orleans’s nestled in a large rock in my late beloved's mother's backyard. I showed it to his nephew and his eyes lit up. I took the little clover and nestled it between the pages in my mini notebook–about 3 inches tall. The perfect size for my little imperfect clover, which accompanied me on my trip.
What strikes me about your “Lucky (2)” is the wonderful openness and child spirit expressed. I love the image of you with your trowel in hand.
Yes, “All we can do is spot it, and seize it while we can.” Lovely reminder.
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ZACL I take it all back, you have called my bluff. No, there cannot be an angelic evolutionary aberration. I don't think angels play any part in evolution. As to aberrations the OED gives as definition 6a of “sport” the following:
“A plant (or part of a plant), animal, etc., which exhibits abnormal or striking variation from the parent type, esp. in form or colour; a spontaneous mutation; a new variety produced in this way. Cf. SPORT v. 8, sport of nature at Phrases 4a.”
So you are right, it's a sport of nature, and therefore an aberration.
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Rebb, in your hands I think a 3-leaved clover will be lucky. Lucky for the clover and lucky for you and yours.
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