What’s The Word For It?
Making spaghetti bolognese for the tribe last night before I headed off to my weekly game of ‘slugfest’ squash with my dear friend Amy (Craig Bolton’s other half), it got me thinking. Not so much thinking about the World Book Encyclopedia’s history of the humble beginnings of spag bol (FYI - it is thought spaghetti is derived from noodles and its thin form was introduced to the Italians by the Chinese before the 12th century), I was thinking more about why we have come to eat it at least once a week? All those carbs after 5 - how is a girl meant to get to a size zero???
Spag bol is Brett’s specialty the night before a game. Not napolitana, not marinara, it must be spag bol. Why? Well, that’s what I got to thinking about.
Is it superstition? Superstition is an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.
Is it a ritual? A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which are prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. A ritual may be performed on specific occasions (i.e. night before game day).
Or is it a habit? A habit is a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behaviour that is acquired through frequent repetition, something learned, an addiction. Habits can be physical, mental and emotional. This is sounding more like my relationship with Freddo Frogs than Brett’s routine pasta feast.
Habits, rituals, superstitions - whatever it is you want to call them - there are plenty present. When I asked Brett about the whole same-same-week-in-week-out-policy amongst the players he said many exist. They range from socks and jocks to showers and super powers…. Okay, not the super powers - but Michael O’Loughlin was Magic!
Hayley Kirk
also-known-as-the-other-half
