Sunday, April 20, 2008

Numbers


I have a thing about numbers. Here are some facts about how I interact with them:

1. I see people as numbers from 1-9. People I consider old souls are mostly one of the odd numbers. Young souls, mostly even.
2. In a checkbook, I destroy all checks that include 666 in the check number. It is such a Biblical cliche, I know, and I have tried to counteract my aversion by reminding myself that my numerology number is 6. To no avail. If I see the numbers 666, rather than looking away, I look hard at them and "spit in the devil's eye."
3. When we are on a car trip, I try to see license plates that have three of the same digit. A good trip is when I see plates with three digits of each number 1-9. I have found that when I am looking the least hard, I have the most success.
4. My favorite numbers are 4, 7, and 8.
5. I can tell time with approximately 99% accuracy (without a clock, of course!).
6. I was very excited today when I went on my blog and the counter read 1777.
7. Two-digit numbers I like are 14 and 17.
8. When my husband and I decided to get married, I insisted that we choose either 7/7 or 7/14. I was incredulous when a friend of mine got married in July of last year and did not pick 7/7/07.
9. If a client's invoice contains three sixes, I worry that we will have problems getting paid. If it contains three of the numbers 4 or 7, I don't worry at all.
10. I like to be an even-numbered age more than an odd-numbered.
11. If I see someone with 666 on their license tag, I think, "I would not have taken that one." If I see someone with four of the same number, I wonder how they felt when they got it.

There are more things, I'm sure, but I like the idea of listing eleven things I think about numbers.

4 comments:

billie said...

I love your 11 facts about numbers.

My personal favorite number is 7. For years, my phone numbers, street addresses, etc. have been full of 7's but when we moved everything turned to 3's. I was a little perturbed but then decided it might be time for a change. So far so good, although I still like 7!

I like the years when my age is two of the same - 11, 22, 33, 44.

I got very excited on 8/8/88 - I had just moved to Austin, Texas for graduate school and all the previous year kept having 8's show up in my life.

I was doing some book research earlier this week and discovered that Highway 666 in New Mexico finally got its named changed to a different number - the road signs were continuously stolen! There were also a number of stories online about odd things happening on 666.

Mamie said...

I was hoping to touch other "numbers nerves" and I'm glad to hear about yours. I used to drive (no pun intended) my children crazy because I insisted on setting the short term mileage in my car to the long-term mileage so that the numbers were the same. I would get very annoyed if someone reset it! Very much enjoyed your post about the weekend, by the way.

Betsy W. said...

I love Mamie's blog with the short story about numbers! So, this is what I wrote to her - my own experience with numbers - "I'm a 6, too, (Numerology) by the way and that used to really bother me. I am the 7th child my parents had and all my siblings and my parents are all either a 2, 4, or 7. I'm the only 6. Isn't that odd? When I take a walk and pass by mailboxes, I add up the numbers to figure out what "number" the house is. My townhouse number adds up to number 1, which I took as the beginning. A good place to start. My favorite numbers are 3, 7, and 9. Odd numbers. But of course, 7 is my favorite of the favorite, because I'm 7 out of 7. And, I have always felt that my odd birthday years have been better for me than the even - that's this year, I'll be 47 next week. So, I'm hoping - God help me - that this year will be better for me. I know someone who got married on 7/7/7 - at least I think I do. (I agree with you Mamie - how could you pass that date up??) I'm glad to know that other people notice numbers as much as I do. I think it started for me in the 2nd grade when we lived in Alexandria, VA, and I'd go to Safeway with my mom. They put your bags in a cart with a number on it that went down a conveyor belt (and then onto metal wheels) out front so you could drive up to get your groceries. Maybe my mom told me to remember the number - I don't think she did - I just remember being very nervous about remembering the number and making sure we got the right bags. Probably the beginnings of OCD. Just a side note that isn't about numbers - my brother Peter was the kind of kid that tried to ride the conveyor belt. :) I love that guy!
Mamie-this is not the original comment which got deleted when I had to set up an account to leave a response here! But it's close-I put this on my Lit Chicks page. HUGS!

Mamie said...

Oh Betsy! Thanks for that great entry on your feelings about numbers. I did wonder if people might think I was autistic (high functioning, of course!) or had OCD when I first put up the post. After hearing from Billie and you I feel better already. Here's to being a six. Now if we can just find someone else in the class who is a six, and the three of us sit side by side....