By Abe Villarreal

I have a close friend who knows the trick to making his day go in the right direction. He puts on his lucky blue shirt.

It's a bright blue. Not a sky blue, or ocean blue. It's a happy blue and it makes my friend happy each time he wears it.

We all have those little tricks. Some people have a lucky rock, some a coin. Others find good fortune in a religious artifact, a cross, or beads. To my friend, it's a shirt.

Funny how a simple item can turn a frown upside down. When a couple of friends of mine joined my blue-shirted friend and me for a day trip to Las Cruces, fate would have it that the day would be nothing short of memorable.

We poked fun at him, and his wardrobe. He was wearing his lucky shirt. When we made it to Las Cruces, we decided to watch a movie. It was American Sniper, and the movie house was sold out.

As we squeezed down the aisle, our shadows getting in the way of the projector, we nestled into our seats. A few moments later, we could feel the shuffling feet of a ball-capped man right behind us. As the man sat down, his soda slipped and spilled right on that beautiful blue shirt.

I'll never forget the look on my friend's face. He was so disappointed. The movie was about to begin, so we were stuck there for a couple of hours. When we left the theater, the three of us looked at the blue shirt, and after a short pause, all four of us were laughing.

It was a happy moment, even for the guy who was still drying off. We laughed and laughed, and to this day we think of that moment. The day the blue shirt was a little unlucky.

As the night progressed, and the shirt's color returned to its familiar happy tone, I realized how my friend's favorite choice of garment, made us all lucky that day. We had a wonderful new memory, and a stronger friendship because of our time of sharing.

So the next time you're trying to plan a weekend trip with the guys, forget the hours of planning. Ditch the restaurant choices and the fancy hotels. Pay attention to the simple details often overlooked. Find your blue shirt and toss your worries out the window.

A lucky day is waiting for you.

Abe Villarreal is the Director of Communications at Western New Mexico University. When not on campus, he enjoys writing about his observations on marketing, life, people and American traditions.