This week we welcome award-winning inspirational author Linda Goodnight and she has an interesting blog for us. She also has a GIVEAWAY so don’t miss that at the bottom.
How many of you, as kids walking down a sidewalk, chanted, “Step on a crack and break your mama’s back” and did your best to skip over those cracks? Are you superstitious? I’m not really, but I think it’s fun to hear about them.
Athletes in particular are a superstitious bunch, whether for fun, ritual, or whatever. For instance, one famous basketball player wore the same pair of ankle-flopping socks throughout his career. Serena Williams, the tennis champ, is known to always tie her shoes exactly the same way before a game. Some athletes insist on eating the same pregame meal or wearing the same (sometimes unwashed) article of clothing. Instead of superstitions, they call these “routines” or pregame rituals. Putting their uniform on in the same order. Stretching in the same spot on the nine-yard line. Regardless of whether the behaviors are routines or superstitions, athletes do them because they think they’ll play better if they do. They’ll laugh about it, but they still do it.
Cowboys, including rodeo cowboys, have their own set of unique superstitions. According to one rodeo source, as many as 75% of rodeo athletes adhere to at least one superstition.
Walker Littlefield, the hero in To Protect His Brother’s Baby would quietly grin and shake his head if asked if he was superstitious. He wasn’t. But some of his rodeo buddies were. That’s why I thought it would be fun to discuss some cowboy and/or rodeo superstitions that are still around today.
Let’s look at ten.
- Never put your hat on a bed, especially brim down. All the luck will run out. Several theories about the origin exist, including warnings of impending injury or death. Eek! But a more reasonable origin could be the fact that cowboys back in the wild west only bathed occasionally and had headlice. A hat on the bed could spread the vermin. The only thing to do if your hat is accidentally placed on the bed is spit in it, throw it down, and stomp it flat. Problem solved. ?
- Place your hat upside down on the table or other surface when removing to keep the good luck inside. Better yet, hang it up.
- A horseshoe over the door or tack room brings good luck as long as it’s “heels up.” “Heels down” drains out all the luck.
- Never eat chicken before a rodeo. Eat a hotdog instead. You are what you eat.
- Don’t wear yellow in the arena. It means you’re a coward.
- Never carry change in your pocket when competing. That’s all the money you’ll win.
- Don’t kick a paper cup that someone tossed on the ground. It’s bad luck. And could spook your horse!
- Never cross your boots when removing them to keep from getting “tripped up.”
9. Never accept a gift of old boots. You will step into the old owner’s troubles.
* *10. And my very favorite: Finding a feather in the arena is good luck. It’s a reminder that angels are watching over you.
So, there you have them, just in time for Halloween!
Leave a comment about a ritual or superstition you or someone you know has. You’ll go into a drawing for a copy of my latest book, To Protect His Brother’s Baby. GOOD LUCK in the drawing!
About Linda:
Linda has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and Christian bestseller lists, and her romance novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A former nurse and teacher, Linda loves writing fiction that carries a message of hope and light in a sometimes dark world. Linda enjoys cooking, reading, and travel. Next on her bucket list are Israel and Scotland. She lives in Oklahoma with husband, Gene, who, ironically, doesn’t travel at all.
