What's your favourite number?
I was thinking today of the number 8 or perhaps more honestly the idea of ‘favourite number’. Somewhere or other down the line I decided that the number 8 was my favourite number. Today I was just wondering where that decision came from.
As a kid it was a big thing to know what your favourite number was. What’s your favourite number? What’s your favourite colour? What!?! – you mean I have to choose one? There are so many choices that have value and I am supposed to have a favourite? Yes, as a child you are expected to know your favourite colour and number.
So, I decided the number 8 was my favourite. Is there a reason? I guess there are many. Earlier on I was thinking about the circular appearance of the number, the fact that I like even numbers. And then just while writing this I think that somewhere in there is the fact that my best friend (see you’re also expected to pick a favourite friend) was born on the 8th. It seemed great to be born on the 8th (to be someone other than who I was). I was born on the 7th – missed it by a day. Perhaps part of me felt I would be more accepted if I was born on the 8th (I know I have come up with countless reasons over the years why I always felt like an outcast).
I wonder where I am going with this and I guess it is to reexamine my decisions for deciding this is my favourite number. I don’t have to have a favourite number. There are many great numbers to choose from (I have an association that anyone born on the 22nd must be very special and wanted my kids to be born on the 22nd – though I wondered if they wouldn’t come on the 11th because of T’s birthday and his other two kids).
Alas it looks like I can go on and on about numbers. Perhaps I shall stop here before I start going on about colours as well. I will just remember to evaluate favouritism in that area as well (purple was a favourite partially because it seemed like an ‘in’ colour for a while).
So many decisions that have been made in the past that affect life today and these decisions may be based on some small choice or observation that likely may not hold true today…
As a kid it was a big thing to know what your favourite number was. What’s your favourite number? What’s your favourite colour? What!?! – you mean I have to choose one? There are so many choices that have value and I am supposed to have a favourite? Yes, as a child you are expected to know your favourite colour and number.
So, I decided the number 8 was my favourite. Is there a reason? I guess there are many. Earlier on I was thinking about the circular appearance of the number, the fact that I like even numbers. And then just while writing this I think that somewhere in there is the fact that my best friend (see you’re also expected to pick a favourite friend) was born on the 8th. It seemed great to be born on the 8th (to be someone other than who I was). I was born on the 7th – missed it by a day. Perhaps part of me felt I would be more accepted if I was born on the 8th (I know I have come up with countless reasons over the years why I always felt like an outcast).
I wonder where I am going with this and I guess it is to reexamine my decisions for deciding this is my favourite number. I don’t have to have a favourite number. There are many great numbers to choose from (I have an association that anyone born on the 22nd must be very special and wanted my kids to be born on the 22nd – though I wondered if they wouldn’t come on the 11th because of T’s birthday and his other two kids).
Alas it looks like I can go on and on about numbers. Perhaps I shall stop here before I start going on about colours as well. I will just remember to evaluate favouritism in that area as well (purple was a favourite partially because it seemed like an ‘in’ colour for a while).
So many decisions that have been made in the past that affect life today and these decisions may be based on some small choice or observation that likely may not hold true today…
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