It’s St Patrick’s Day – will you be wearing green for “luck”? My one St Patrick’s story that I think about every year was about the St Patrick’s when I was 8 (maybe 9), and I had strep throat. It was raining and I was in the backseat of the car with my sister, coming home from the doctor. At the time, I thought of myself as chic (for a child), wearing a white, ribbed skirt with a white sweatshirt with a teddy bear on it (I LOVED that sweatshirt). No green. And my sister pinched me. From there on out, I make sure that I always green on 3/17. Even if it’s a small shamrock sticker.
What’s weird is that I’ve never thought of St Patrick’s Day as lucky. Or green as my color. There are things that I’ve worn for luck- we all have, I think being a little superstitious is a part of the human condition. My favorite animal is a pig, and I have shirts and socks that I will throw on if I need a little luck. I’m a huge fan of my alma mater’s sports teams and will wear purple (all the way down to lingerie) to will them to win. Evil eye jewelry, special necklaces, there a few things that I know I can turn to, to at least make me feel lucky.
I have this one bracelet- thick, red, inscribed with huge white letters that says “Luck is believing you’re lucky”. It’s not one I wear often, but I think about it (and its message often).
This week I’ve been thinking about luck. And what we wear to feel lucky. There are things I wear for luck, but most of them I wouldn’t wear into a big meeting or event (I love my pig socks but they don’t scream chic).
Yet, there are outfits that I’ve felt lucky in- that fit me perfect, that I trusted I looked good in, that made me feel powerful, that good things seem to happen in. Is that luck? Or just a good outfit? And what is the distinction between the two?
One of my acting coaches used to say that luck was only opprotunity meeting preparedness (even if it’s not, we’re pretending that’s a word). Maybe that’s what a good outfit is like- when you feel confident in what you’re wearing you’re more open to things, when you’re confident and believe in your luck more doors open. It doesn’t matter if it’s green or if it’s black, if an outfit makes you feel lucky, it’s lucky.
The thing that I love about this theory? It gives us the power. We’re the lucky ones, not the outfits. Though I’m never, ever going to tell you to stop wearing things that make you feel lucky. If it works, why jinx it?
And I do suggest wearing green – just in case!
Xo RA
