He was in the Air Force. He was also raised really, fucking strict. His parents had a love/hate relationship with him. When he was a kid, his mom threw a hammer at him and proclaimed, "I brought you into this world I will take you out." Shit changed when he went through his mid life crisis, fucked his secretary, and divorced my mom. She decided that she wanted to be the "friend parent." Complete opposite.
My folks wouldn't let me watch "Animal House" but "Risky Business" was ok. No idea there. I knock on wood so I don't tempt fate, something I've always done and I don't know when it started. I notice that I'm much more superstitious as I get older.
My parents were fine with things like "Carmina" because they're pretty uncultured and knew nothing about them until a third party explained things. Or, until they saw their daughter dancing a choreographed threesome and putting someone on a spit onstage. Oops! Focus: My mom is really superstitious about our jinxing something. Any good news is NEVER to be spoken of until after months after it's actually happening/has happened. Got a promotion and raise? Nobody's allowed to speak of it until well after a year after it actually goes down. I continue this tradition to a small degree. I don't like talking about good things until they're already happening and there's no chance in fucking it up. Also, never set your purse on the floor.
My dad was (is) very health paranoid. Consequently I was not allowed to: [*] Stand in front of the microwave while it's on [*] Use antiperspirant deodorant [*] Go outside in the entire state of New Jersey The first two were supposedly linked with cancer (what isn't?). The third was because my dad contracted lime disease from a tick in New Jersey. I had to pee at a rest stop once and he wouldn't let me out of the car. Eventually he let me after I told him I'd pee on the seats instead, but I was subjected to a full body tick examination on return. There are many, many more. It hasn't affected me much, but my brother is a huge pussy and became a vegetarian because he thinks meat causes cancer. Even though there are tenuous links between meat and cancer, who the fuck worries about something that much? Someone who wasn't allowed to stand in front of the microwave, that's who.
I was raised very much the opposite. From a young age I had access to extreme horror and violence (I grew up when ultra-violent ninja videos were hitting the market) without adequate parental supervision. My mother would rent the R 18+ movies for me on holidays and no one batted any eyelid. Played Dungeons and Dragons. Got my first replica samurai swords at 10, and whole bunch of weapons after that. The first time I set foot in a church, from memory, was for a Christmas Mass one year because my brother's then-fiance wanted the "whole family" to go. I don't think I've even heard my father ever utter the word "God". My father, and therefore my mother by proxy, is pragmatic to the point of fault. He has zero time for anything that can't be held in his own two hands, and that includes wishy washy things like "feelings" and "emotions".
Alt-Focus: I honestly don't know when or why I started doing this, but every time I think about migraines I knock on wood. I've knocked at least four times writing this post. I told a roommate about it once. It's funny that he knows what's going through my mind when I start tapping on things.
I bet he does. Does he cover his bunghole and run away? I cannot be the only one that found the way this is worded hilarious.
My mom, dad, and sister are fairly ambivalent towards organized religion, but the rest of the family are all crazy religious. I'm from MS so religious here has a completely different meaning than in some other parts of the country. Anyway, one of my most notable remembrances is that my aunt wouldn't let me cousins watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles because it promoted evolution. This was also the aunt that gave her children Razor Scooter keychains instead of the real things the year that EVERY kid under the age of 16 got Razor scooters. Bitch.
My mom isn't very superstitious at all, except for one thing. She is a big proponent of 'Purse on the floor, always poor.' I have never seen her purse on the floor ever, in my entire life. To this day, having to put my purse on the floor fills me with a vague sense of unease. I know that, rationally, my current money problems have nothing to do with a superstition, but if I put my purse on the floor I feel like I'm screwing myself over somehow. Damn irrational superstitions.
I think it's interesting that so many superstitions started with a practical intent. Walking under a ladder is bad luck not because you're violating the Trinity by breaking a triangle but because you're liable to have a hammer dropped on your head. Not leaving your purse on the floor makes it harder to steal; if it's on the floor it's usually out of sight and easier to grab from behind. If this isn't too big of a derail, let's discuss the practical origins of other superstitions. Is a black cat crossing your path bad luck because cats are jerks and will try to trip you going down the stairs?
My parents were the "look away Rainbow" type when someone was naked in a movie. Nudity was bad but they didn't have any problem with my aunt showing me Cujo when I was 5. The only thing that was completely censored... Sesame Street. Why? It's written by Communists of course. I'm a little superstitious about 666. There have been two times that I've had a purchase come up to exactly $6.66 and both times I had to buy something else. A woman I know got issued a license plate with it on it and I refuse to ride in her car and I sure as shit wouldn't keep it if it were mine. Even though I have a black cat and have no problem with that, if one crosses the road in front of me, I lick my finger and make an X in the corner of my windshield.