Personal Ritual Quotes

There's not a day that goes by that I don't bless myself with holy water and then get in my car and rub the medal of the Virgin Mary that she gave me and say a Hail Mary for my mother. And then I kiss her Mass card that's right there on the dashboard.

Although I myself don't go to church or synagogue, I do, whether it's superstition or whatever, pray every time I get on a plane. I just automatically do it. I say the same thing every time.

I tend to go to bed really early on New Year's Eve. Then I wake up early, drive up while it's still dark, and hike out somewhere beautiful to watch the sunrise. I just take a couple hours and have a post-mortem of the year.

I get on Twitter, one of my routines during the day, if I'm home is, I wake up, get a cup of coffee, turn on the Weather Channel and I'll look at what people are saying to me on Twitter on my phone.

I grab coins and tees in my travels, but I usually mark my ball with a coin from Argentina, either a peso or a 10-centavo piece.

I have to pray before I play, and I gotta eat right before I go out there. For a while when I was younger, I would always eat chicken tenders and fries no matter what.

I don't agree with superstitious routines, but there are a couple of things I'll always do before performing. I'll get together with the band and chill out, and then, just before I go on stage, I'll always check my flies.

I've a belt that I have worn for every single stand-up comedy session since I was 19. I fear if I ever lose it, my career would crumble. That's my one OCD.

When I speak at events, I often wear my dad's ties and my mom's earrings. It's a small, almost secret way of having them with me when I'm up there onstage, talking to a roomful of strangers. It makes me feel safe.

My mom, Nellie, got me a rosary at church. I don't use it to pray before a competition. I'll just pray normally to myself, but I have it there in case.

In my prayers every day, which are a combination of Hebrew prayers and Shakespeare and Sondheim lyrics and things people have said to me that I've written down and shoved in my pocket, I also say the name of every person I've ever known who's passed on.

I listen to music deeply and seriously for at least an hour or two a day.

I've got this silver necklace and silver cross that my mom got me that I always wear during games. I don't know if it's superstition as much as it's the fact I wouldn't even feel right not wearing it.

I really like worship music. It settles my soul. Gets me back on track. The lyrics are almost like a prayer, so it's my go-to.

My perfect day in Baltimore begins with getting my five newspapers. Then I would write.

Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable. I don't really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of praying, as you no doubt have yours. Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible.

A trip to Tel Aviv is a ritual. I always wear the same clothes to Tel Aviv: black pants and a blue-checked shirt that I bought especially from Ralph Lauren.

I will wear tights even if it's 100 degrees outside. Tights are my safety blanket.

I don't go anywhere without a book by James Joyce called 'Finnegan's Wake.'

Every time I'm in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace.

I listen to my iPod as I walk on. If I'm winning I'll listen to the same song, that's like a good luck thing - usually The Black Eyed Peas' Let's Get It Started.

I count all the time on resonance. I call on this, you see.

I wear perfume even when I’m alone

I don't like my hockey sticks touching other sticks, and I don't like them crossing one another, and I kind of have them hidden in the corner. I put baby powder on the ends. I think it's essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you.

I really like the smell of the tennis balls, the new ones. I don't need to do it, but it's just my habit, what I do on the court when we change for the new tennis balls. I just smell them. Maybe it's for luck. I've been doing it all my life.