'Poverty Sucks and the psychic house'

The statement about curiosity, belief, money and culture

Psychic places are part of the American cultural landscape. Indeed, we pass by psychics' shops everyday and we don't even notice them. We can see psychic reading at almost every corner on a busy neighborhood in New York City. We walk down the street and we see a woman staring at us from a window. She looks like a part of the window display.   A medium store looks like a room off the street. It has a very specific aesthetic and interior design. The stranger  is waving at us to come inside. She has something very important to tell. But then we see the price list with the services she offers. Psychic places, like strip clubs, invite you in but at the same time they keep you out.

However,  when we notice a psychic advisor, we are tempted to understand what she would tell us about our career, love, future, health and etc. Sometimes, when we have some difficulties in life we might think that they could help us. We are afraid to know the 'truth' or it's hard for us to believe that what she is saying might be just general thoughts. I always wonder who goes there, but I am sure people visit those places since there are so many on the same block. In some neighborhoods, you can see more psychic parlors than places to eat.

Why are there so many psychics in America? How do we really know if they can palm read, read tarot cards and tell us the truth? Or is it partly an autosuggestion after we listen to what they tell us, we connect the sequences in our life based on their words. Besides that, why do we usually think that a psychic is a woman and why the stereotype for a psychic is a woman, not a man? Are women more interested in other people's lives? Do women visit psychic advisors more than men? Is it easier to believe a woman? What's hiding behind their mystical visions?

The story

An year ago, I experienced emotional instability. I went to visit a friend of mine for first time, who I had known for many years. Surprisingly, on the facade of his two family house I saw a sign, 'Psychic Reading'. At that time, on the first floor there was a medium living there with her family. After talking to my friend I became curious about how this psychic looked and what she would say. I decided to go  see her downstairs. For fifteen dollars she only did a palm reading, and at the end she gave me fifteen percent off my next visit.

I have been a little bit skeptical regarding psychic reading. So, I didn't want to take her too seriously. But, I wanted to believe her because what she said seemed true.  From the other side,  I do have some attraction to mystical readings caused by what I could find out.  Of course, we always want to know more about ourselves. Sometimes instead of looking at ourselves, it's easier to listen and believe what a total stranger can tells us.

She talked to me very quickly:

There are two men in your life, however one is from the past and he is your soulmate , the other one you know him recently, but you have developed a very good friendship with him, but there is another woman. You do something with pictures,  something creative, you will go to school and you will finish very successfully. In the next three years you will be very successful. You will merry once only, no divorces. Beware of other women, they are very jealous of you. Be careful what you are sharing with them and what you are telling them...

She talked so fast this is all I could remember. Overall, the experience was provocative and refreshing, which led me to new ideas and questions. Primarily questions concerning the psychological and the sociological existence of psychics in contemporary society.

After a year, I wanted to go and see her again. Apparently, It seems that she couldn't predict her own future. The landlord evicted her and her family from their apartment. Both she and the landlord were hurt by the recession. The owner of the house plans to destroy it in the next few months.  He plans to sell it to developers. Now the door is unlocked, the apartment is full of derelict furniture, and it is impressed with the ghosts of the psychic's family. A Big poster is hung on the wall between the two windows in the living room.Its headlines reads 'Poverty Sucks' and a well dressed girl poses with an expensive car in front of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Helping others and telling them how they should protect themselves, doesn't mean that she could do this for herself.