I was watching Alton Brown talk to Serious Eats the other day. He mentions halfway through that he has a certain spoon he gravitates towards, a talisman. "You need something that is special for you. And its significance is strictly mental comfort."
And I instantly knew what he was talking about. After all, I've got one of those, too.
I don't even remember when I picked this thing up. It was two bucks at a Key Foods somewhere in Manhattan, purchased just when I started taking cooking seriously in the shitty TriBeCa apartment I shared with two of my college buddies. And to this day, rare's the dish I prepare when this chunk of wood isn't part of it.
He's right, you know. Mental comfort is important. Whether I'm cooking something for the first time or firing off a recipe I know by heart, when that wooden spoon is in my hand, I feel confident, self-assured. I know the little circles I need to make while stirring risotto, the amount of pressure I need to apply to scrape up fond.
But it's not the only talisman in my life. Back when I played in a pool league, I used a shitty plastic bracelet with "LOVE" emblazoned in rhinestones on it as my marker. I still use the ancient Zippo my old friend gave me when he quit smoking. I use the same Höfner replica controller every time I play Rock Band.
What is it about us that leads us to put significance in the inanimate? Why do we need to put faith in things other than ourselves to make ourselves better? Or is it more than that? Do we invest ourselves in these objects to extend ourselves beyond the limits of our bodies?
Take the time to think about the objects of significance in your life. When you're getting down on the 8 ball, take a second to think: how much of you is taking the shot, and how much of you is using that crappy little bracelet to pull it into the pocket?
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