Numbers

Rambling Introduction Bibliography

When I was a kid the popular saying among adults was, "there are only two things in life you can be sure of: death and taxes." Ok now, how about good and evil, up and down (throw in sideways just to confuse people because then you respond horizontal and vertical.)

I remember first hearing about, then wondering what the Three R's were. A wise adult told me they were "reading, writing and 'rithatic." This made perfect sense to a child who knew that "writing" did in fact begin with a "w" and 'rithmatic was poor pronunciation (something my Mother abhorred--I'm convinced my sister left home because my mom corrected her several times; "funner? More Fun.") At any rate I hadn't yet discovered poetic license and assumed someone was being cute, an adult prank pulled on kids.

Then there were other things I started hearing, Seven Deadly Sins, the Trinity (raised Lutheran explains why there's more information on Christianity here then other religions or philosophies--but I'm working on that,) Cat o' nine tails (there's a Ripley's Believe it or Not.) Seven Wonders of the World. Five senses. Nine planets. Twelve Apostles. Seven Dwarfs.

A fork is two paths in road or an eating utensil with four prongs which is also a military maneuver meaning to surround, or circle which has 360 degrees, which is really hot considering normal body temperature 98.5 degrees, ____ farenhite which is metric, a system based on of ten which is the number fingers kids use when first learning to count, that's five fingers on one of two hands used to hold a fork. Go figure, I gave up on this circular logic that never met it's beginning and caved into a quite fascination of numerical connections.

Then came validation, Numerology. I was still a kid. Numer = numbers, ology = study there of. "What do you mean it's not a legitimate science, but a taboo, occult, hands off topic?" I was a kid and while I didn't grow up in a strict religious environment, generations of simple Christianity weighed in and won out.

But then Christians have this "thing" about 666, 3x222 or 2x333, numerologically reduced 6+6+6=18=9 or a Trinity of Trinities. What Pythagorean considered the ultimate in perfect numbers. I wonder what the TV Evangelists would think of it all?

As you can tell I flunked math. Which is the real driving force behind this, over compensation. Like Pentiums, when I add extremely large values 2 and 2 I occasionally come up with 5.

Numbers are important to our everyday life. We use them to tally, rate, remember or symbolize just about everything.

Consider the "Seven Deadly Sins" mentioned earlier. They're seven things you shouldn't do. (Subtract seven from ten, as in Commandments, and you get three. That pesky Trinity thing again.) Strong symboligy, but do you know what they are? Nose picking isn't one of them, but Sloth is. Back in some pre-Renaissance post-Crucifixion age a wise man sat down and grouped all the disgusting habits together, called them sins and counted them. We didn't need to know what they were to be intimidated by the threat of our desires or habits compared to them. We don't walk around with lists of them in our pockets. Lists, after all, are a sign of compulsive behavior.

Follow this thought further, can you name the all the Castaways on Gilligan's Island? Did you stop to think there were seven? I didn't until I stumbled across a web page that listed the castaway along side their sin. Was this done intentionally by the show's writers? I don't know and I don't know if the questions was every posed to them.

So where does that leave us? Aside from the fact part of our brain is trying to line up the Seven Dwarfs with the Seven Sins? (I tried and wasn't to impressed with the results, that Sneezy keeps putting a kink in it.)

There are certain numbers that fascinate society, at this point I can only relate to Western Cultures. (This will expand and we'll see how this stands up.) Three and seven being the most popular, seven is the odds on favorite. Five, nine, twelve coming in next. Sentimental choices are 13 and 666, people enjoy a good scare when it's from a distance.

Two numbers you won't find in the list are "one" and "two."

Singularity, or oneness, is as common as people, places and things. Christianity: God or Christ or Fire and Brimstone (ok, bad example.) Government: Red Tape. UFOs: Roswell. Politics: corruption. Duality, or contention, has a tendency to throw fits. War/Peace. Hope/Despair. Love/Hate. Mother/Father (not every pair works in opposition.) Parent/Child.

The lists (no, I don't consider myself compulsive) of numbers available are to draw serious or whimsical conclusions of your own or others. But all the documents and texts are copy written. Have a nice day.

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Created: 4-May-1998, Last updated: 24-June-1998