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Health & Fitness

Good Luck Charm or Really Smelly Jersey?

Superstitious 12 Year Old and the St. Louis Cardinals

I have been a St. Louis Cardinals fan for my entire life.  I grew up in the days of the Brock-a-brella, watching Ozzie Smith do a backflip at the start of the season and remembering vividly when they won the World Series in 1982. 

I was sitting on the couch in our basement with my mom (my dad was at the game and I was mad that he didn't take me). The vision of Darrell Porter and Bruce Sutter running at each other is still a very close memory. I also remember that ALL my friends had a crush on Tommy Herr. These are all memories that I hold near and dear.

As a mom, I see my kids getting into the World Series (my son is about the age I was when they won in 1982). My daughter, who doesn't normally get into sports, not only knows who all the players are, but also knows terminology I've never heard out of her mouth (ie. ground-rule double).  It's been a very fun experience...except the Albert Pujols jersey that my son insists on wearing for each game and refuses to let me wash.

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I am a somewhat superstitious person. I don't walk under ladders, I don't put shoes on a table and I believe in fate. My son has taken it to the next level. On certain days, the kids can wear Cardinal gear to school. The first couple of times, he wore his #5 jersey and the Cards won.  Therefore, in his 12 year old mind, the jersey is good luck and that's the reason they won.  I don't mind that reasoning, other than the fact that he now won't let me wash it and I won't let him wear it to school...he can wear it at  home during the games.

Last night, I sat in my lucky corner of the couch, playing a word game on my kindle, which seems to have helped the Cardinals win previously. My son wore his jersey and we still lost the game...huh? That's not supposed to happen. Rather than "blaming" the team for not winning, my son informed me that he knows why we lost..."I wore my red blah-de-blah shirt to school today and last time I wore it on game day, we lost."  Good reasoning.

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So, no more "blah-de-blah" shirt on game day and the Cards should be set to win the World Series.  Don't call me, however, if they don't.

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