Musings of the Goat, Whose Hooves are Planted on the Wonderful Ground

I was reading Bill Cameron's blog, on which he confesses (as Bouchercon approaches) that he is a bit of a nervous flyer. Several other authors wrote in to say they were the same way. Well, naturally. You're leaving the ground.

I don't always believe in astrology, but sometimes the description of my sign, Capricorn, and the traits attributed to that sign, are amazingly accurate. Like the fact that the Capricorn, a goat, likes to keep its feet firmly planted on the good earth. Nothing makes more sense to me than that, which is why I am a plane virgin. And even when I drive, I'm oh-so-careful. Not an accident, ever.

I am backed up in this by a poll result posted online by Road and Travel Magazine. Insurance agents determined which Zodiac signs were the safest drivers, and guess what? You should drive with me. Capricorns were the safest of all. And now I quote them:

The study indicated Capricorns were the safest behind the wheel due to their patience and careful driving.

The study was based on 160,000 car accident insurance claims received over the past three years.

Suncorp Metway told Reuters it would not change premiums to reflect a person's star sign.

The company listed car accident claims by star sign as follows, with the most accident-prone at the top:

1. Gemini, May 21-June 21
2. Taurus, April 20-May 20
3. Pisces, February 19-March 20
4. Virgo, August 23-September 22
5. Cancer, June 22-July 22
6. Aquarius, January 20-February 18
7. Aries, March 21-April 19
8. Leo, July 23-August 22
9. Libra, September 23-October 22
10. Sagittarius, November 22-December 21
11. Scorpio, October 23-November 21
12. Capricorn, December 22-January 19

Okay. Added to that interesting tidbit is what I learned about my sign at Astrology.com, a tidbit that is remarkably true of me:

Capricorns are industrious, efficient, organized and won't make a lot of waves. They are scrupulous with details and adopt a rather conventional posture in business and in life. These folks feel best playing it safe, since this is a fail-safe way to get to the top -- eventually.

Okay, so I think that means that being safe can still make me successful, even if I am too careful to climb aboard a plane, which will take me off of my beloved ground.

So Bill and the others, I'll see your fear, and I'll raise you another fear: getting on the plane at all.

Oh, and I hope none of you Geminis going to Bouchercon come anywhere near me. You're number one on the list, and we all know that means you're reckless. :)