Welcome, back to my stream of consciousness ramble brought to us each Saturday by the lovely Linda Hill. If you’re new to SoCS, you can get all the scoop over at Linda’s blog. Check out the rules and let your thoughts run wild. .
Today’s prompt is as follows:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “fortune.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
My mind is slowly bringing an image into view. It’s cloudy at first but I see a man in a glass box staring into a crystal ball. It’s Zoltar!
Remember those fortune teller machines? Pretty cool, eh? But that wasn’t the first fortune teller in my life. The first one was my grandfather looking at my “life line” on my palm. I can still see him holding my hand, palm up, and tracing my long life line with his finger.
In school we had “cootie catchers”. Folded origami-like paper fortune tellers. Did you own one? I did. Several! I was a master at making them, so I guess in a way I was a fortune teller in my own right.
Somewhere along the way I would encounter the best of the fortune tellers – The Magic 8 Ball! What a great invention. I guess it didn’t really tell your fortune, but it could answer all your questions – well, your yes or no questions at least.
Quick! Can you remember the answers the Magic 8 Ball would give? I will see if I can find a video after I get this steam out of my head and onto the screen.
I remember my father telling me he had gone to a Fortune Teller when he was a teenager. A full fledged gypsy he said, complete with head scarf, gold jewelry and the works. She scared him. He would never tell us what the fortune teller told him, but he swore he would never ever step into another fortune teller’s parlor again. (Why did fortune tellers always have a parlor?)
I once owned a crystal ball. I never saw my future or my past in it, though. I wonder what that should tell me? 🤔
I had a magic eight ball, cootie catchers, a ouige board, and a crystal ball. I never saw my future though. LOL I like where you went with SoCs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We had a Ouija board, too, but it took too long to spell out a fortune! Ha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it did
LikeLike
I used to read palms. It was a great way to meet girls!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And hold their hand! What a sly fellow!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh! This was fun to read, my mum could read tea leaves and did! My dear departed sister Mary could see the future and had had healing hands. 💜💜💜💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
What amazing gifts, Willow.
LikeLike
Yes we were very lucky in that way 😌
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never been to a fortune teller, but remember the folded paper as a kid. I don’t remember what we called them, but was always a bit excited about what the paper would tell me.
LikeLike
It is fun to think back on the simple things that intrigued us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a magic eight ball. Cootie catchers seemed to be something girls liked better than boys – we lived in such a sexist time – and I remember getting my fortune from the Fortune Tellers on the midway and from the scales outside the Five and Dime.
Great memories, Maggie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had forgotten about the scales, Dan! Our fortunes were everywhere.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a magic eight ball and made cootie catchers too (although I don’t remember calling them that). I still have a Ouija board from the 60s somewhere… I’ve been meaning to put it on eBay. Maybe I should check with it first to see what I’ll get for it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We bought a new Ouija board for a Halloween party one year and none of the adults would go near it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a magic eight ball. Fun memories, Maggie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were fun toys. I am happy you enjoyed the memories.
LikeLike
Zoltar is a little scary. I do remember making and playing with cootie catchers. It’s cool you had a crystal ball. I collect snow globes that remind me of crystal balls without the fortunes.
LikeLike
I love snow globes. It is my favorite prop in the movie The Santa Clause.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never get tired of watching The Santa Claus movie. The Snow globes scenes are enchanting.
LikeLike
We jokingly used a magic 8 ball for work related decisions 🤣. We’d call it “the Underwriting Committee”
LikeLiked by 2 people
I almost spit out my coffee when I read this. That is hilarious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember the machines like Zoltar that told your fortune on a card. When he featured in the Tom Hanks film, ‘Big’, the memories came flooding back.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were popular in the penny arcades. (although they cost more than a penny!)
LikeLiked by 1 person