- April 18, 2024
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Growing up in a superstitious household was always fun. It added a level of excitement and comedy to an otherwise troublesome life in the ghetto.
There were times, in the middle of sweeping our dirty, stained hard floors, when I would accidentally sweep over my siblings’ feet, and my mom would make someone spit (yes, spit) on the broom. If she didn’t, she believed, someone in the family would go to jail. Not a joking matter, but a lot of my family members have gone to jail. Of course, I believe it was due to a crime they committed, not the disregard of spittle.
This was just one fish in an ocean of ridiculous notions. We couldn’t wash clothes on holidays, split a pole, had to travel in the opposite direction of black cats, tell our nightmares to someone lest they come true, perform a ritual if we broke a mirror — and so many others. Would you believe, as a kid, I actually tried to avoid all the cracks on the sidewalk pavement, so I wouldn’t get home to an ailing mother who suffered a cracked back because of my carelessness?
The issue of superstitions crossed my mind the other day, when, jokingly, a coach blamed me for the lopsided inning his team suffered as I showed up late to the ballpark. As I laughed, I begin to wonder about all the crazy and meaningless habits people do to get the upper hand.
A few years ago, there was a commercial about superstitions, featuring Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” song, and the end of the commercial said, “It’s only weird if it doesn’t work.” Does it ever? Now, I know people claim the jerseys they wear weekly that never get washed all season are the reasons their teams win “some” games, but I don’t recall any team in the history of sports that never lost, at least in the modern era. Do superstitions have off-nights? Let’s face it: LeBron James and Tom Brady (along with deflated balls and spies) make “superstitions” work. Those who hold to their game routines should try them on the Cleveland Browns or the Philadelphia 76ers.
I wonder who wins when both teams trust in superstitions. Do they cancel each other out?
What are some of the superstitions you’ve learned or seen, and do you believe in superstitions? And, since we are on the subject, have any of you dreamed of fish lately? My wife and I are seeking to become first-time parents.
