From the Editor - Issue 33

EVER SINCE I SAW that black cat leaping onto the back of the chair on our cover, making me think about luck, I keep hearing What’s luck got to do with it? Tina Turner is singing it in my head yet her song isn’t about luck at all but What’s love got to do with it?

What does luck have to do with it? Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States (1801–09) had a view: “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more luck I have”. So the Declaration of Independence wasn’t his only inspirational bit of thinking. Legendary South African golfer Gary Player (US Open, PGA, British Open among other conquests) refined Jefferson: “The harder I practise, the luckier I get”. Many people interviewed for NZ Life & Leisure say they feel lucky yet when we observe their achievements we see them as being blessed with the hard-work ethic. Luck, it seems to us, was along for the ride.

Studies conducted by Dr Richard Wiseman* to assess the intuition of people who considered themselves lucky when it came to winning a lottery concluded that luck has nothing to do with it. Lucky people think they are lucky but actually are no luckier than anyone else. Repeat winners of lotteries just entered more times than those who considered themselves unlucky, thereby increasing their odds.

We ummed and aahed over this cover image, wondering if a black cat – being for some a symbol of bad luck – might deter those people. It’s a mixed bag with the cat when it comes to luck: the Scots think a black cat brings a woman many suitors; sailors believe it brings them home safe from the sea; gamblers are not keen on seeing one on the way to the casino; and in the 17th century in the supposedly witch-ridden US town of Salem black cats were the consorts of witches. But we aren’t superstitious, are we?

I love the startling green wallpaper on the cover, the fluttering birds and swaying flowers and the cat, too. I can see it happening: photographer Jane Ussher had her shot beautifully composed, light just perfect, all the planets in line when wham! a jolly cat leaped right into the frame. Brilliant photographer that she is, Jane was not fazed but caught the cat landing perfectly on his feet. A lucky moment or one in which a photographer shows her genius?

NZ Life & Leisure and the team had their lucky moments at the recent Magazine Awards. NZ Life & Leisure was named Magazine of the Year (General Interest & Entertainment), art director Yolanta was named Designer of the Year (General Interest & Entertainment) and I was named Supreme Editor of the Year. We plan to keep on working even harder and to become even luckier.

* The Luck Factor, Dr Richard Wiseman (Century, 2003)