EPTAnyways, my nine-year old self took this paper fortune teller making business pretty seriously, so I sat there with my stubby pencil and really tried with my childhood imagination to bust out a thorough and interesting selection of fortunes. After a few minutes I managed to create these awesome predictions that ranged from the gratuitous "You will be a millionaire" to the ominous and mystical "Bad things will happen to you". I know, I was the maestro of fortune writing. Some fortune-cookie teller company should have snapped me up.
But whatever, I was proud of my paper doodad and quickly ran over to my father when class was over so I should show off my creation and tell his fortune. I went through the process a few times, allowing him to get the "You will be a millionaire" fortune after a slightly less awesome "you will stub your toe!" He smiled and his fortune each time, then patted my head and lead me to the car so that we could go home.
In the car he asked me why I written some predictions to be a misfortune. I said I didn't know, I just wrote them for fun. He lectured sternly that I should have created a fortune teller with entirely good fortunes. I didn't understand why back then. I felt ashamed that I disappointed my dad with a flawed and shitty fortune teller.
Years later I understood that my father was trying to be nice to those I would tell those fortunes to. He was looking out for my younger cousins or my friends that I would inevitably show-off my contraption to. He was simply being a good guy.
I think about that memory now and smile. I've been through heartbreaks, triumphs, betrayals, and everything in between. Everything happens in life, not solely the good things.
If I could go back and re-do my paper fortune teller, I'd make it exactly the same way.
