I’ve heard it said that omens and good tidings come in threes.
And that pattern seems to hold as far as I can see, unconcerned as I am about confirmation bias.
Three wise men ushered in the new era and three miracles pave the road to sainthood; three checkers in a row, three goals scores a hat trick, and three race winners earns the trifecta payout.
But if good tidings come in threes, then hard knocks come double-pronged in quick succession.
After three viral videos and news appearances in three top outlets, the second year of GoRUFFLY enjoyed three months of bumper sales.
But that’s when fork-tongued tragedy slithered from the thickets and struck with two poison-dripping fangs.
First Greg was struck by a chicken bus along the Pan-American Highway just an hour away from where we launched the journey twelve months and 45,000 km earlier.
With bones in his hand and wrist smashed, his motorcycle was a heap of shattered plastic and twisted metal.
Then came Moxie whose both knees were injured.
The first from running in the sand a few weeks prior in Baja California and the second because knee injuries, like all other hardships and tragedies, come in pairs.
She went in for what was supposed to be a routine knee surgery and then passed away five days later due to complications from the medications administered.
If I continue to illustrate the point, I’m certain the twos-bad, threes-good pattern will remain consistent without any need for revisionist history or massaging the facts.
And the lesson to be learned from this is just as obvious and self-evident: don’t trust anything in pairs.
If, say, a couple of missionaries, vacuum salesmen, or government agents show up at your door, don’t open it.
But if a threesome – say, a man, woman, and their dog – lingers about on your porch, then definitely welcome them in for tea and biscuits!
