Of Superstitions and the Things We Carry

A short while back after having returned safely from my big ride West, I laid my Softail down in traffic on the way to work.  My front wheel locked up on me as I was applying the brake due to traffic stopping suddenly.  I skidded a good distance and in the process of covering the three or so car lengths between my point of entry and where my bike and I came to rest next to the red Chevy van that had stopped in front of me, my handlebars went left, the bike rolled to the right spilling me from my seat and to ad insult to injury, the rear of the bike fell upon my right leg as I fell dragging me for fifteen feet or so and pinning me under the bike's 712lbs.  Aside from a small scrape, some scuffs on my jacket and a really nasty looking bruise bigger than a grapefruit on my right calf, I was fine.  My pride was wounded more than anything else and I am perfectly happy with that!  My bike came through the ordeal just about as well as I did.  Scratches on the engine guard bar (indicating that it did exactly what the hell it was supposed to do!) and a little scuffing on the outside edge of my right side floor board.  Once things settled down and administrative things were attended to, I dusted myself and the bike off, rode to work and then taught for about 3 hours before the adrenaline and the endorphins wore off and everything became stiff and sore at which point I went home to sleep it off after utilizing the Army's favorite cure all: Motrin.

Engine Guard bar saved my bacon!

Yeah, this could have been WAAAAAY worse!

Thank goodness for leathers!

It was in these days following the accident that I began to examine things; habits, mannerisms, what was in my pockets at the time, what other items I was wearing, my mindset that morning.  I began to think about how often times those of us who have dangerous occupations or participate in activities that are inherently dangerous have little good luck charms that we carry with us or rituals that we do prior to doing whatever it is that we are heading out to do.  We creatures of habit carry these items or perform these rites because in doing so subconsciously or consciously we are imbuing ourselves with power, focus, protection, luck.  Its the same as the football player who wears his lucky socks or the pitcher who tries to do his wind up the same way each time so he can throw that perfect pitch.



My crucifix and medals along with the pendant and a good shot of
Grandpa Herman's "dog tag"

Grandpa's New Testament

A better shot of the Connemara marble

I wear several things and carry a couple of others in the breast pocket on my motorcycle jacket. If I switch jackets I transfer those items from the pocket of one jacket to the other.  The items have power.  I give them that power by believing in their significance.  The items that I wear, I wear constantly no matter what I may be wearing or doing. 

My talismans (not including my issued ID tags) consist of religious medals of St. Michael and St. Christopher and a crucifix that reflect my Catholic history, a piece of Connemara marble that has a large hole in it that the ancient Celts believed that by looking t your foe through a naturally occurring hole in a piece of stone, you could see your victory over them; One of my Grandfather's dog tags from when he fought in the South Pacific during Second World War.  There is also a charm or pendant that was given to me by someone I cared deeply for that matches up to the half they had to create  a heart. 
In my breast pocket are a copy of the New Testament that my grandfather carried with him during World War II and a hand woven wampum bracelet that I picked up randomly at a trade show and there all along the right lapel and flap, are my pins from the places I have bee and rides I have done :-)

Close up of the pendant, medals and Crucifix

We all have our little good luck charms.  Whether we recognize them as that or not.  We carry them with us and swap them over from car to car.  I have a friend who has a small bean bag cheetah that zips open and has spare change and the like in it that she has had for years.  People will take shift knobs, old air-fresheners, the list goes on and on.  So the question that begs to be asked is do these things actually work?  Do we empower them or do they empower us?  Is it all a trick of the brain or is there actually some merit to all of this?  I can't answer that question for certain, but what I can say is this:  I'm glad that I was wearing them when I had my accident because I'm not entirely sure how things would have turned out if I hadn't!  I guess you could chalk it up to Having it and not needing it rather than needing it and not having it!! 

So tell us, what do you carry when you ride or road trip it?

                                                          Keep the Shiny Side Up Everyone!