I don't believe in bad luck — I'm not superstitious, I've never had a good luck charm, and I'll let black cats walk past me if they so choose. However, over Christmas break, I had a series of a few unfortunate events take place that made me express to others that I, in fact, am having a streak of 'bad luck.'

Truly, with all the blessings I have in my life, I have never had a strong desire to complain, especially about petty misfortunes, but my bad luck streak has been unmistakable enough for me to at least recognize that there may be something to learn from my experience and that many times life doesn't go our way.

Like many Marquette students who are 21 years or older, Murphy's Irish Pub on Wells Street. is a place where I feel at home and comfortable enough with my surroundings to put my purse down to be free to dance on a Friday night. And that is just what I did on the last day of finals in December.

Little did I know, my dance session would cost me. Later that night, I called my phone and talked to a person who agreed to return my purse to me — complete with my cell phone, cards and keys, for a compensation of $200.

Needless to say, I didn't get my stuff back.

A few days later, a six-hour road trip to Omaha, NE with my boyfriend became a two-day ordeal due to broken windshield wipers, frozen windshield wiper fluid and horrible weather and road conditions.

When my Omaha trip was over, and I was finally able to fly back to Milwaukee — two days delayed due to Wisconsin's mass amount of snow, I couldn't get into my apartment because my key wouldn't work, and my landlord was "200 miles away."

So anyway, 'poor Megan,' right? (Also, if I did believe in bad luck, I would believe it to be contagious. My roommate had her wallet stolen this past weekend.)

Well, if you think all that wasn't bad enough, on Jan. 5, I found out the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg in 1912, and 1,517 passengers perished in the Atlantic Ocean.

Okay, so I already knew of this historic tragedy that occurred 96 years ago, but I was reminded of its impact and the fragility of humanity when I visited the Milwaukee Public Museum's exhibit called, "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition."

Talk about bad luck. A beautiful ship — admired for its luxurious splendor and modern design, with more than 2,000 passengers aboard, is taken down by a single iceberg that happened to be in its path toward America.

What stuck out to me most throughout the exhibit was the confidence that the designers and boarders of the ship had in its safety and strength.

One crew member famously said, "God himself couldn't sink this ship."

The final room of the exhibit displayed the lists of names of those who perished, proving the invincibility of the ship wrong.

Similarly to dealing with my recent inconveniences, the exhibit put things into perspective.

Amidst actual artifacts featured in the exhibit such as plates from the dining halls and chandeliers that hung in first class, I observed the humanity behind the pretentious confidence in the Titanic and in the idea that anything could be greater than God, that humans could create something exempt from 'bad luck.'

Humanity's greatest flaw, I believe, is that very sentiment. The moment we begin to feel anything is invincible is a moment of loss for us.

Having my purse stolen and being stuck in Dixon, Ill. for a night on my way to Omaha were humbling experiences that reminded me that most of the time, things are out of my hands.

That is why I don't believe in bad luck, but I do believe in God, and in remembering that ultimately, it is better to put trust in the divine than to be cocky and believe I have the answers. I guess I have 'bad luck' and the Titanic to thank for that lesson.

Check out the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at The Milwaukee Public Museum through May 25. Other information can be found at www.mpm.edu.