I always stop to pick up playing cards that are lying face-down on the ground.

But today ("yesterday") I almost didn't. I was three minutes in to the run when I saw it and hesitated. I don't like to stop at all when running because there's that chance that I'll just decide to not continue. I almost passed the card by, but thought back to the last time I found one. On a Sunday morning in Berkeley earlier this Fall I turned over the 2 of Hearts. I thought, "What if it's another 2 of Hearts? Or just any Heart? That would be cool..." Ridiculously, I stopped the stopwatch for the entire 3 seconds it took me to pick up the 3 of Diamonds.

During the run, I thought a little bit about what that number and suit could symbolize and made a mental note to later google "3 of Diamonds" to see if it "means" anything and then I stopped thinking for the remaining 30somethings minutes of the run. When I slowed to the cooldown walk, I turned the card over and examined it to see how much the rain had gotten to it. It was only then that I noticed that someone had written, in pencil, "ya nunca mas PePe aguilar". Now there was something I could use. The promise in that song title "Ya nunca más" could indicate either contrition or assertive negation on the Mexican singer's part. The song could also be one of Aguilar's beautifully sung ballads or it could just as easily be one of those norteño accordion-and-brass-heavy songs that usually set my teeth on edge. I decided to add listening to the song to my Internet homework. "I'm definitely buying it on iTunes!" I thought. I would buy it for the simple, corny reason that it was "in the cards". But its not entirely insignificant title would probably seal the deal. I could stand to say "never again" to quite a few things.

The first result in response to my Google search term "3 of diamongs [sic]" netted the following (from cafeastrology.com):

You dealt the Three of Diamonds!

The 3 of Diamonds indicates that, in the matters surrounding your question, success will only come if you use tact and caution. It may be too easy to get tangled up in an argument at this time. Avoid impulsive actions!

Always good advice.

A search for Pepe Aguilar's "Ya nunca más" confirmed that the singer is asserting himself, declaring himself free from a toxic love affair and not swearing that he'll "never do it again". I haven't purchased it yet, but I will. As soon as I've pushed away the aversion. Because, yes, a "ya nunca más", no matter how many times, and whether it's triumphant or repentant, is usually in the cards...