Calvin had a lucky pair of Rocket Ship underpants that aided in his best days, his feeling of confidence, his plots to rule the world.
I'm not a superstitious person in most cases. I have a favorite sports team, but have not an item or ritual I believe will help them win. I care little for religion and seem to hesitate when spirituality rears its head in my life. But for some reason I pick a pair of undergarments to represent my confidence on days I feel it's necessary to up the ante.
I performed in a number of plays and musicals while in high-school and undergrad and I never quite got into character until we finally put on the costumes. Something about the fabric, the style, the cut really sold my brain on who I was suppose to be in those shows. And it was never until the moment I first wore the costume on stage that I really understood the character or feel my body inside their skin. Something about the idiosyncrasy inherent in the clothing the character might wear that spoke volumes of who they might be.
And thus it makes sense that on days I'm not sure who I am supposed to be and could use a little boost to carry me through, I wear the clothes that carry bits of me in them. On a day where I can't seem to pinpoint myself without my glasses, my Seahawks beanie, the belt that I've worn more often than any other piece of clothing I've owned over the past 5 or 6 years, or a lucky pair of underwear, I seek those out. Once those are on my body, I can look in the mirror and recognize myself, feel the idea of me and the physical manifestation click together.
It's not as though there's one set of underwear I've cared for and worn on necessary days for years, it changes (the thought that it wouldn't makes me uncomfortable). No, I empower a new pair every so often when a particular color or pattern intrigues me. You'd think such a mercurial and arbitrary decision to bestow confidence into fabric touching my junk might make me so very aware of how ridiculous it might seem. And some days you'd be right. As it holds as much sway as any other superstition upon triumphs and trials of a day. None.
But what it can do, is reboot my brain for a short period of time to believe I have things in hand. To help me feel as though the world isn't too big for me, or moves too fast. It reminds me on days when I need it to, to breathe.
