Breaking the Devil's Back

I realized today, just now, while walking to class that I subconsciously avoid stepping on cracks when walking. I realized I was walking pretty awkwardly when I would take big steps and small steps and practically tripped over myself a couple of times. There was no pattern or rhythm to my stroll which is what caught my attention.

I was literally stepping over and around cracks in the cement. I'm pretty sure I do this everyday. I've always walked that way for as long as I can remember but it was just today, just now, while walking to class that I figured out what the heck I was doing.

Of course, I don't ALWAYS avoid cracks. That would be intense. However, I believe once I think about it, I start my weird habit.

Why do I do this? I don't struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder so I'm feeling like that isn't it.

Am I really afraid I'll break my mother's back? Hmm? No...I don't believe that's it either.

But maybe it is...maybe I believe that bad things could happen if I slipped up and stepped on one of those bad boys. I mean, hey, ever since I was a little tot, I was always warned about those darn cracks... Sometimes it was either your mother's back or the devil's back. But that's a 50/50 chance you could break your sweet little momma's spine. She carried you for 9 months and you're gonna chance hurting her like that?! As victorious as breaking the devil's back would be...I love my mom.

All I know is that they always told us horrible and unimaginable things happened when people stepped on those breaks in the sidewalks.

So maybe I'm convinced that if I were to step on one of these crevices, it would open up and swallow me and everyone around me. Or maybe a huge bolt of lightening would strike someone down the second I broke that rule. Or a nuclear war would start. Or some huge beautiful forest would burst into giant, uncontrollable flames and ruin peoples homes and towns. Or some kitten would die. Or... okay...I'll just stop there.

Maybe it's just a habit. A weird, unexplainable habit. Yeah, that's it.