Habits and Rituals

Everybody has little habits here and there, like nail biting or a specific way of peeling a banana. Yeah, I'm talking about those tiny, insignificant habits that one does. For example, whenever I put on my shoe, I always put the left sock on first and the left shoe on first (unless there is some peculiar condition or situation like the laces are already tied or I'm in a rush so I just put my shoes on without doing up the laces). Whenever I'm taking a free throw, I line the ball up so I can see the full face of the panels, bounce it twice, grab the ball with my hands on the side of it, spin it forward a couple of times whilst bobbing up and down three or four times, hold my breath and then shoot. Yeah, these are all basketball habits but whatever. Well, some non basketball habits might be like, listening to Asian Music whilst doing maths. This turned into a habit after my Asian Music Trial Month where I could only listen to my Ipod in maths. Whenever I eat a Kit-Kat, I snap it first and I never tear where it says "Tear Here" and instead, I tear it with the logo facing me, near the word NESTLE. Then I push one out, grab it with my teeth and then I snap it in half with my tongue. Also, whenever I take off my shoes and assuming I've undone the laces, I always put the laces into the shoe. I think I do this because I don't want the white laces of K-Swiss shoes getting dirty, but then this became the case with the rest of my shoes.

The point I'm trying to make is that when do these little habits turn into rituals? Like surely, at some point, you keep on doing these little things because they're habits and eventually they become a ritual. Like if you don't do it, you feel as though you might jinx yourself. I, for example, have a pre-game ritual. I always eat a banana and listen to ALL 9 of the T-ara songs I have on my Ipod, 30 minutes before we leave the house for my basketball match. When I finish the banana, I go and change, without ever pausing the song. It's a little bit tricky, trying to change whilst still listening to the Ipod, but I somehow manage. I don't stop listening to T-ara until the last minute, when I really have to go.

I'm sure everybody has habits and probably a ritual of some kind and if you have one, leave a comment. I feel like Natalie Tran when I ask for comment, but oh well, she's cool. Yeah. Leave a comment, whoever bothers to read this blog.