Itchy palm

I have been suffering for the last few days with an itchy palm. There is no physical reason for the itching, no blisters, no rash of any sort. It just itches. I wake up with them itching and throughout my days I am compelled to scratch seriously. And no matter how much I scratch, there is no relief from the itching.

Now I did what we all do in this century when we have symptoms we cannot figure out. I first went to www.webmd.com and when I found no realistic answers there, I went to google and entered “itchy palm”. In one way I was comforted in knowing others have these odd symptoms and are equally disturbed by them. Some folks said it was an allergy and I am certainly having some sort of sinus / allergy symptoms especially in the morning so they may be tied. Some people have runny noses and runny eyes… I just have sneezing and an itchy palm. Ok.. I could deal with that.

What I was unprepared for was the superstition. Traveling in Central America you get a little used to their superstitions because they seem so odd to us… like tying a red thread around the babies wrist to keep them safe and never looking into the eyes of an infant especially if you are a gringo so you don’t make them odd.

Somehow when we come home we simply over look and fail to even recognize our own culture that is full of superstitious taboos. For the itchy hand.. here are just some of the superstitions that were suggested by people:

• maybe you are going to rich beyond your wildest dreams by the weekend –
• the right had receives the riches
• the left hand loses the cash
• Both is the best.. because you complete the circle
• Itchy feet means a journey
• Itchy nose means you are going to be kissed
• Itchy or burning right ear means spite
• Itchy or burning left ear means love
• 2 burning ears means a change in the weather

Isn’t that amazing? Some of these may have come with your great grandma from the old country but they still get passed on. We have our own superstitions and they are alive and well and getting huge new audiences on the internet. DKU