Eyes that Can See

I am always amused by the irony of a "seer" having an office right next to my ophthalmologist. Two types of vision here--the physical and the metaphysical, representing science and faith, reality and fantasy, medicine and scam.

Okay, I watch TV too. I know there are some purported psychics who police say have been very helpful with investigations; however I've never seen any money changing hands , at least on camera, regarding these situations. I have an idea the scop shop squatting beside my ophthalmologist's office isn't as public-minded.

Texas used to have a law against professional fortune-telling, and I wish it still did. The garish "Madame Zelda"- set-ups seem to be on every corner now. But not all the oracles are that flamboyant. I had a friend who went to fortune-tellers regularly, but only the most high class ones. I went with her once because she was my friend. The "psychic's" office was in a modern, elegant building also housing insurance offices, entrepreneurial enterprises, and the like. There were books in the bookcase and plants on the tables. She met with about ten people at once (at $20 a throw) and gave us all a ticket with a number on it. We were supposed to memorize our number. Then the numbers all went into a container which she pulled them out of one by one and, supposedly not knowing whose ticket she held, gave us advice, encouragement, and warnings for the coming month. She even did one person in absentia, with someone else carrying the message.

I had read that psychics watch their customers' reactions for clues and proceed accordingly. Therefore, being a born skeptic, I decided to relax and sit there with a slight smile on my face the entire time . Needless to say, the only message I got was that next month would be good for new beginnings, which is pretty non-specific.

I say I'm a skeptic, but really I'm just like everyone else. I WANT to believe. I would really like there to be someone out there who can key into my future and help me make winning decisions. I'd love to be able to top off my visit to the ophthalmologist with a visit to someone who could tell me for sure which lens to choose and what the outcome of the cataract surgery would be.

But, alas, nothing is that easy. Except for Zelda, of course. She can fold her tent and slip away in the night any time the pickin's get slim.