Author Archives: Carmen Villasenor Santiago

Working out for punishment

Nationality: Black/Cambodian
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: California, USA
Performance Date: 4/27/13
Primary Language: English

Nothing comes to mind. When I read it just one thing about my parents disciplinary choice. Growing up my punishment for things was not spankings or lectures but I would have to lift weights. Since the age of 5. The worse the offense, the more reps. I’m sure you can see how that has influenced me today because I am into fitness. Whenever I feel I do something wrong though, whether it be sin or do poorly in school, i work out to the point that my body feels like I will break, because I suppose that’s what I feel I deserve. Working out to the point where it’s dangerous to my body. I know it’s not the best, but that’s how my family (mainly my dad’s side) discipline children and it’s been in mind growing up. Surprisingly I am not buff and I am pretty sure this may be the reason I’m the only one in my family under 6 feet. So it hasn’t really seemed to benefit me too much physically but hey, I’m not fat either.

It was interesting hearing about this type of traditions within his family because I have heard of different forms of punishment, but this was very original and therefore surprised me a lot. It was also interesting seeing how he kept this kind of folklore as he grew up and used it as conditioning for himself in order to make sure he always tried to do good.

Throwing salt over left shoulder

Nationality: Italian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: California, USA
Performance Date: 4/30/13
Primary Language: English
Language: Italian

I remember once I spilled salt and one of my aunts told me to quickly like grab a pinch and then just throw it over my left shoulder cause supposedly there was a devil there always lurking and so by throwing it I would hit him in the eyes and I guess it would make him go away. Also I think there was something about how your guardian angel was always on your right shoulder and they would like make you spill the salt magically I guess to warn you of an evil thingy behind you so you throw salt to avoid bad luck and to scare the devil.

After looking more into this story, it comes from European countries in a time where salt was scarce so therefore it was said any person who spilled salt would have a bad omen because it was a luxury so in order to avoid that bad omen or bad luck the person was supposed to grab a pinch and throw it over their left shoulder. Then it developed into the story in which the devil lurks on ones left shoulder and the angel on the right and therefore throwing salt into his eyes would make him go away. These stories and folklore make me realize the way people will shape their beliefs in order to feel safer against the evil.

Umbrellas indoors

Nationality: Italian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: California, USA
Performance Date: 4/30/13
Primary Language: English
Language: Italian

You are not supposed to open an umbrella indoors because it will bring you bad luck. I remember my mom would get all freaked out if me or my brothers ever did that because she was very superstitious so she would think we were going to die or something! So then growing up I always had a fear of like opening the umbrella indoors because even though I didn’t really believe it, I was still hesitant cause like you know I grew up with that belief.

After analyzing this story I realize that there are a lot of these superstitions or stories in which parents will create bad luck or bad events in order for the children to obey them. In this case although she did not believe the stories were true she still avoided the umbrella indoors because its the folklore she grew up with and whether one likes it or not, it becomes a part of our everyday lives.  In the same way that each of us have morning rituals that we are unaware of these little superstitions too become a part of our routine that we off-handedly learn to avoid or do in order to get this “good luck” or in order to in the same way avoid this said “bad luck” that comes with it.