Welcome to Volume 19 of Clutter Tales, a series where we tell the stories of our lives through our clutter. Today’s Clutter Tale is one of mine and I hope it will entertain you. I recently discovered several pages of handwritten notes from two visits I made to a fortune teller forty years ago. Did she predict anything significant about my future or was it just cheap entertainment? Read on to find out.
Clutter Tale 19 – Notes from a visit to a fortune teller
I do believe some people have a sixth sense, but I’m skeptical of many who claim the ability to predict the future based on what they see in cards, tea leaves or just holding an item of personal value.
I don’t recall the circumstances behind how I ended up going to see this lady—I suppose it was just a thing people were doing so I thought “why not”?
Let me set the stage for my visits. The first visit was in 1982 when I was 18. The second was two years later in 1984. Like most teenagers, I was searching for meaning and direction in my life. I probably hoped the fortune teller might give me some clues as to what my future might hold.
The lady’s name was Madame Robichaud. She honed her craft out of her small house, just a few blocks from where I lived at the time. She was legendary in our area. Most people had heard of her and many visited her.
The details of my visits have faded. I do remember it wasn’t at all like you would imagine. There were no beaded curtains, crystal balls, or odd fortune-teller outfits. She was just a normal lady, wearing normal clothes, predicting the future out of her very normal house.
So what did she tell me, and did any of it come true? Let’s take a look.
Things that (sort of) came true
A few of the things she predicted were somewhat accurate.
- A trip? When I visited in July 1982, the first thing she asked me was why I hadn’t left for my trip yet. I was leaving for a big trip to France a week or so later.
- The letter P? Interestingly, I did meet a guy named Pascal when I was in France.
- A holiday romance? She warned me to watch out when I go on my trip because I’m too trusting. She said I’d meet up with some dude over there. I suppose that dude was Pascal.
- A career with money? Saying I’m good at handling money could have been a prediction of my career in financial services.
There was nothing life-changing about anything she predicted. Out of eight pages of notes, only four things came true…sort of.
Things that didn’t come true
Most of the other items I wrote down were fairly trivial, but there are some that seem so far off the mark now.
On career
- A social worker or nurse? She said I’d be a good social worker or nurse—two jobs I could never see myself doing. I’ve spent my entire career in the corporate world, and a far cry from nursing or social work.
- A promotion? She spoke of a promotion and me being very happy about something that happened at work. I worked in the credit department at Encyclopaedia Britannica at the time and I don’t recall any promotions in the six years I worked there.
On romance
- A cancelled wedding? Someone was supposed to be getting married but changed their mind. Nope—I don’t recall any altar jiltings or last-minute wedding cancellations.
- A secret admirer? There’s a secret admirer, a guy who wants to settle down with me but I want no part of it. Nothing comes to mind there either.
- More than friends? My friend named Jeff wants to be more than friends. This one made me laugh the most. I do have a good friend named Jeff and, while I didn’t know it at the time, he’s gay.
- A breakup? On both visits, she mentioned a breakup or a bad time that had happened when I was 17. Again, nothing significant comes to mind.
On life and death
- An enemy? During the first visit, she warned me about a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes spreading phony stories about me. The only person I was close to at the time who fit that description was my friend Cher, and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t telling any stories about me. On the second visit, she said there was a blond person with blue eyes who is missing. Maybe I took care of that girl who was telling stories about me.
- A drowning or tragedy around water? On both visits, she predicted a drowning or tragedy around water that I should warn people about. It does make me wonder if there’s a statute of limitations on these predictions because nothing is coming to mind.
- A happy death? Twice in the same visit, she mentioned that someone was very sick and would die, but everyone was relieved at the death, and I’m not very upset at the funeral. I’m pretty emotional and sentimental, so I can’t imagine me not being upset at any funeral, no matter the circumstances.
Looking back on this forty years later with the benefit of hindsight, I see my skepticism is warranted. It was fun to read through my notes, but I saw nothing to convince me this was anything more than an evening of entertainment.
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At least it provides entertainment!
Yes, that’s what it comes down to. No life-altering predictions, but a little bit of fun.
Oh my goodness! I remember her! She read tea leaves! I was afraid of her! And you can be assured my dear, I most definitely wouldn’t in a million years ever tell phony stories about you or anyone else for that matter! I think the reason you went was because I went, your sister, my brother, and I think a few others we knew. I remember one thing you told me from that meeting: someone who we both knew came up a few times in your reading and we both laughed about it! I hope you are laughing right now! Cher xoxoxo
Yes, I do remember that. In fact, the first time I went, your brother and my brother-in-law went with me. LOL I literally did laugh when you mentioned that certain someone.
Did they? I don’t remember that! LOL Me too when I read that you laughed! LOL
This was such an interesting post – I always wonder about these things wit a very healthy dose of skepticism :). Your notes must have been so much fun to go through all these years later.
Thanks. It was fun to go through the notes. They brought back a lot of memories.
I visited a psychic about six years ago who was adamant that I would be married and have a child in about two years. It didn’t happen.
However, she was right when she said my Dad would be ill but would recover and that I needed to go to the dentist!
I am fascinated with this sort of thing, though sadly, there are too many fakes taking advantage of vulnerable people.
It is very interesting and some people swore by this lady and her predictions. She just didn’t predict much for me.
You were brave to go. I can’t remember ever wanting to know my future. And you took notes!
I honestly think it was just something fun to do. I don’t think I ever really took it seriously. Yes, my notes are very detailed and neatly written. I must have taken the time to re-write them after the visit because there’s no way I would have been able to capture all that while I was there.
What a fun “time capsule”. I bet Madame did not expect you to be checking her work so many years later!
It was fun to read through the notes. It took me back to a different time, for sure. I’m sure Madame has long departed this Earth. If she is still alive, she would be very old.