Don’t fret, it’s in the stars

I’ve never been particularly hot on the daily horoscope. Occasionally, after working the crossword puzzle in the hometown newspaper, I might take a quick peek at how my stars seemed to be aligned for the day.

And years ago, I was fascinated by the fact that there was a classic black-and-white film entitled, “Sign of The Ram,” because I am an Aries, too.

Most of the time, however,

I venture out and about with a

“Que sera sera” attitude — confident in the fact that astrology does not control my fate.

Unlike the highly agitated reader who once berated me because the horoscope had been inadvertently left out of The

Sentinel-Record and she could not leave home without knowing what it foretold for her.

For some reason, I checked the horoscope on the morning of Monday, Feb. 26, and noted that we Aries folks just had two stars. “That’s about right,” I smiled, anxiously awaiting a morning appointment with my dentist. And in the afternoon, when I realized my condominium mailbox key was lost, I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should not be so cavalier about this horoscope thing.”

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, I decided to see how things looked on the day that I was slated to visit my tax accountant. I felt better when I saw there were five stars by my sign. This had to be good news, right?

I read on: “You seem to sparkle, at least to others,” the text said. “Your responses and ideas seem more vibrant than usual. Note the responses you get as your enthusiasm soars. You have a way about you that draws in others. You demonstrate an unusual willingness to go with the flow. Tonight: All smiles.”

And so out the door I went — a little more bravado in my step.

After turning in my tax information, I decided to go to the Kroger Store on Airport Road to see if perhaps my missing mailbox key might have been turned into the office. I had done a little grocery shopping after getting my mail on Tuesday and thought I just might have dropped it on the parking lot. Before going inside, I decided to re-inspect the floorboard of the passenger side of the car since I had tossed the mail on it the previous day. Imagine my shock when I saw the crumpled metal that had been the front right bumper cover and a missing panel that had been ripped off that side of the car. No double about it. On the day when everything was forecast to be coming up roses, I was the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

So much for five-star days. Mine was spent returning to my accountant’s parking lot, retrieving the piece of metal that was still there, talking to the business owner who was most conciliatory and said staff would ask if any other clients had seen or heard anything, going to my insurance agent’s office, making a police report, and yes, still wondering about the darn mailbox key. When I called the president of my Property Owners Association Board, I found that someone had turned the key into her. To say that I am most grateful for that good deed is an understatement.

The good thing about a bad situation is that if one is lucky, friends, neighbors, service professionals and other associates rally around to lend support and offer their assistance and assurances. That said, I give my own five-star reviews to Rosemary, Sue, Jo, Hot Springs police Sgt. Eric Stockwell, Megan and everyone at Larry Otwell’s State Farm agency, Dr. Steve, Angie and Robyn at Baldwin Dentistry, and Adam and Kim Reiter at Golden’s Paint & Body Shop.

To those who insist, “It’s written in the stars,” I will counter with one of my mother’s favorite sayings, “Into each life a little rain must fall.”