Deion Sanders The Ironing Coach

-

The pressing cloth is made from old white sheets or pillowcases. Black pants and skirts become shiny if  pressed without it. But do we still need the pressing cloth? We have steam irons now. You tell me.

Deion Sanders, Colorado University football coach, known as ‘Coach Prime’ does his own ironing. I find it funny that he doesn’t like steam irons. Who does? The video got me thinking about things especially, past, present and future.

The past because mama made us do things we didn’t like so she used scare tactics. She said she will die one day, so we better learn how to fend for ourselves. That put fire under our seats and we followed instructions. How can she talk about dying? She did. She must be having the last laugh, seeing me writing a piece about Coach Prime ironing his clothes. Mama taught us to iron because ‘you’re not going out of this house looking like that.’

Where’s the pressing cloth?

Mama taught us to use the pressing cloth because putting the iron directly on the fabric makes it shiny. Coach Prime loves ironing which explains his coaching philosophy at Jackson State University, his previous gig before Colorado: ‘You look good, you feel good, you play good, they pay good.’

His mama is probably like mama who said don’t let the world know your problems. That is why ironing was part of the preparation. Mama didn’t want us putting her to shame by wearing clothes that looked like they came out of an elephant’s mouth. She had never seen an elephant in her life because she was born in an urban area and we were also born and raised in the city, where baba worked.

Deion Sanders ‘Coach Prime’ made me feel guilty as he happily ironed his jacket, finished and put the ironing board away, as he should. Guilty because leaving home and living in Europe gave me freedom to do as I pleased. Initially, I was shocked that students around me did not iron their clothes. Then I enjoyed it. Such freedom.

But mama is always there at the back of my mind. That’s why I have an ironing board and a pressing cloth. Coach Prime, sorry about steam irons. You don’t like them, but we don’t have a choice. It’s what they are selling. Don’t worry, artificial intelligence irons are on the way.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elections And Political Bullies

-
Image
Forget democracy.   It should be called political bullying. We are watching it in the prelude to the Canadian election on the 19 th of October, 2015.   Americans have also started their political bullying for the looming presidential election next year. So many trees wasted on books about democracy.   Some countries have big budgets for invading other countries ‘ to defend democracy’ but it is seldom practised in campaigning for elections.   Calling opponents names and printing flyers attacking each other is behaviour that will not be tolerated in kindergarten, but it is all legal, in campaigning.   It is irritating and such a let-down to the whole notion of democracy.   Grown-up men and women behaving like Grade One kids. It is also misleading because many voters believe it is real hatred.   Don’t let that fool you.   These politicians play golf together, attend the same dinner parties, eat and drink at the same social events, share jokes and cut deals in parliament.   They
Read more

Comfort Food As Regret Food

-
Image
Chicken curry. Comfort food is good for the soul, which usually bleeds in winter from icy roads, bad drivers that want to annihilate pedestrians, frozen fingers and toes that take a sabbatical.   What happened to my toes?   I thought I was wearing special socks for boots? We therefore have a right to comfort food which throws doctors’ orders out of the window and has no loyalty to calories.   No calculator on the table, thanks very much.   Piece of bread 5 calories, half a banana 10 calories, sugar-free cheesecake 2,000 calories.   Ah! Ah!  We only live once. Naw!   Comfort food is old school food with its compulsory second helping.   It involves licking fingers and giving a big sigh, about the good life, which is shelter, food, love and debt.   The problem is the zip.   The jeans remind you that comfort food can also be called you will regret food .   Home sweet home is even sweeter in winter after surviving blowing snow and bumper to bumper traffic. What is more welcoming th
Read more

Einstein Passengers

-
Image
Being a passenger is very stressful.   You must listen to the owner of the car, nod and grumble yes to everything he says because you don’t want to piss him off. Two things can happen if you disagree with the driver: he can lose concentration and you all end up in a mash-up accident or stop the car and ask you to get out.   That is the driver’s prerogative.   You must listen to me if you are a passenger in my car.   Let’s flip the script for a minute and sympathise with the driver if she has a passenger who is more intelligent than Albert Einstein. He talks non-stop.   It is all about himself, how right he is, how good he is, how stupid his boss is. Einstein is also a driving instructor.   “Careful.   Look at that guy.   Is he crazy or something? ” says Einstein. Einstein is the unofficial pilot.   He presses imaginary brakes in the passenger seat when the driver stops abruptly for a guy who is texting on his bicycle. A certain Einstein took it to another level.   S
Read more