Capricorn

Do you believe in astrology? In a way I still do. I don't think that the position of the stars, or what time of the year we are born in have much effect on our personalities, but I still believe in the astrology effect. I think that if you allow yourself to think of yourself as an Aries or a Taurus or whatever you will unconsciously act more and more like this sign, whatever it is.

And at the same time people tend to believe in their astrological signs selectively. They may look at their Chinese sign, and say, that isn't like me at all. And I do look at my Chinese sign this way, I guess my western zodiac sign has been a little more accurate.

And I believe that some signs are more beneficial than others. I am a Capricorn, and I'm happy for it. This hasn't always been the case, and I've had this Aquarius friend of mine who usually believes that it's always best to be an Air sign, because they are "cooler". It's true, a survey was given to many people, asking them which sign they would most rather be. Aquarius won hands down, because I guess it's cooler to think of yourself as the unconventional hipster.

In fact I wouldn't really say that I'm that much a Capricorn, but it's certainly beneficial to me to think of myself as one. The steady, reliable guy who gets things done. Definitely an asset to have. The planner, maybe even the schemer who always gets what he wants (although hardly the most popular person around). Something to steady myself with.

I think that's a better role model than say, if you were an air sign, dreaming, theorising and verbalising but not that much in the way of execution. I don't need that. Or if you were a water sign, always in the throes of mood swings and maybe not able to get much done. (I was acting a lot like a water sign in my college days.) I know of a person who believes she's a Scorpio (which she is) and ends up being in serial unhappy relationships. I wouldn't want that for her or myself.

Earth signs are not the happiest of people but there's a steady contentment. There is a certain degree of being comfortable in your own skin after a while. Of solid unpretentiousness, I like that. The character in Archie's I've always identified with is Jughead Jones and I'm sure he's a Taurus.

Capricorns are usually setting themselves up for something. I'd like to think of it that way, that I'm a caterpillar eating everything in sight before he emerges as a - goodness knows what, a dragonfly, mosquito or butterfly. That wouldn't be too bad.

Around 20, which was a low point in my life, I had figured out that youth is really not my thing. The things that people have in their youth - vitality, attractiveness, maybe a slight naivete, these things don't really help me that much. I've always been a plodder, and I can be a plodder when I'm old, I could be like Teddy Sheringham who can play until he's 40 years old because he never had to rely too much on his pace. At least I like to think of it that way.

I recently read some really bad news - life sags in the middle. According to research. Across various cultures, the results are the same - life starts off pretty good, and then reaches its nadir when you're in your 40s. Then things look up by the time you're retired. Damn. Hope it doesn't happen to me.

Will it happen to me? I hope to be too busy or distracted to even notice.