Blaze(r) of Glory

This is my second post in a row using Bon Jovi song titles/lyrics in my post title! *high fives self*

Today, I want to talk about a blazer. This blazer, in fact:

I saw this beauty while shopping with my mom in late 2012 (or early 2013. Before the spring semester of 2013, in any case). I was immediately in love because, hello, look at it. But it was also more than I wanted to spend, despite the fact that I WAS looking to buy professional-type clothes.

When I told my mom that I wasn't going to get it for myself, she said, "Than I'll get it for you. It's too perfect for you not to get it."

I'm sure I thanked her profusely, being the fantabulous daughter that I am, but the only thing I remember saying is, "I'm going to wear this when I interview for a job at the USOC."

Yes folks, I pulled a Babe Ruth and called my shot.

It was an odd call to make, too, since unless I was already in Colorado Springs, this hypothetical interview I was talking about would be conducted over the phone and attire would be a moot point. But hey, dream big, right?

So the blazer came home with me, and then went to Miami with me as I began my final semester as a student and intern in the athletic department. I tucked it away in my closet, not wanting to wear it just anywhere. I mean, the office I worked in was way too casual, and it was just too beautiful to "waste" on an average day! So it laid in wait until Duke basketball rolled into town. I was on the schedule to work that game, and decided it was the blazer's time to shine. Hosting the No. 1 team in the country in front of a sold-out arena and ESPN primetime cameras is a worthy occasion, amirite?

Well, the occasion turned out to be even worthier than anticipated, as my then-unranked Canes demolished Duke by over 20 points. The whole night was electric, the student section rushed the court, and the Cinderella season had officially begun. Basically, it was perfect. I firmly believed my blazer had some awesome juju going on, so it went back into my closet to await the next perfect occasion.

Lo and behold, nine months later, I was asked to interview with the USOC while I was living in Colorado Springs. My bold prediction had come true! I was going to wear this blazer when I interviewed with the USOC! I'd never been so excited and confident going into an interview, and I walked out of there positively elated with myself.

And then... I didn't get the job.

I was equal parts devastated and furious, and it snapped me out of my belief that this blazer had any special meaning. Um, hello, it's just fabric. Any specialness that I'd attributed to it was solely in my head.

So along comes January. I'm at home in New York and unemployed, when I'm contacted by a different department at the USOC for an interview. It ended up getting scheduled for the same day I got the email about it, mere hours later, a day that I'd spent digging out my room and wearing giant, slouchy pajamas. I briefly thought of breaking out my blazer and fancying myself up, but then I thought... why? Nobody was going to see me except myself. All getting dressed up would do was cut into the limited time I could've spent preparing. It wasn't going to make me perform any better or feel more confident in myself! So I decided to prepare. My blazer stayed in my closet (heck, I don't think I'd even unpacked it from my suitcase yet), I did my interview homework, and it was a great interview conducted from the most comfy clothes I own that are probably about eight sizes too big for me.

Blazer or no blazer, I got the job.

I'm not one to be superstitious or give articles of clothing such extreme importance, and I can (hopefully) honestly say I won't do it again. I mean, if I can get my dream job in flannel pants a foot too long for me, what on earth is so special about a blazer?

...But that didn't mean I wasn't going to wear it on my first day of work. ;)

You know you were missing awkward, low-quality photos in your life. Don't lie.

Has anyone else gotten all misty over a piece of clothing that was supposed to be "special"? Please, tell me I'm not totally crazy!