Happy Birthday To Me
I turned 48 last week.
I'm not really into math, but I do have a thing for cool patterns with numbers. Especially when it comes to ages.
The twin double-digit ages (11, 22, 33, 44, etc) are fun in a bittersweet sort of way. Even if we live to be 100, there are still only nine of them.
How about if you could live to a triplet triple-digit age, like 111? Only, I think, if I could be aware enough to recognize the occasion. And healthy enough to eat cake.
I didn't realize until recently that 48 is the last age in another pattern: the second digit is twice the first. Only 12, 24, 36, and 48 meet this pattern.
But , if all goes well and I live to a ripe old age, I can still look forward to a couple of ages with the opposite pattern: where the first digit is twice the second, as in 21, 42, 63, and 84.
Ages marking the start of a new decade are always pretty loaded. Everyone talks about the trauma of turning 30, 40, 50, or 60. But I've actually embraced those I've experienced so far, except, that is, for 20. Somehow, no longer being a teenager was far more upsetting to me at the time than turning 30 was or turning 50 could possibly ever be.
Okay, so by now you're either bored out of your mind or you think I'm sort of obsessive-compulsive about numbers. Maybe a little.
Do any of you ever pick up on patterns in numbers, in ages or anything else? What ages have been markers in your lives? Are there any you faced with dread?
Remember the Clairol commercial years ago that said, "You're not getting older; you're getting better?" Some days I feel it's true.
And other days? Well, then I just feel my age.
I'll be away three days this week, off-island bringing Daughter #1 to college. I'll still be posting, but I'm not sure what the internet situation will be where I'm staying. So if you don't hear from me, I'm still around and I'll be back on Friday. Wish me luck...
I'm not really into math, but I do have a thing for cool patterns with numbers. Especially when it comes to ages.
The twin double-digit ages (11, 22, 33, 44, etc) are fun in a bittersweet sort of way. Even if we live to be 100, there are still only nine of them.
How about if you could live to a triplet triple-digit age, like 111? Only, I think, if I could be aware enough to recognize the occasion. And healthy enough to eat cake.
I didn't realize until recently that 48 is the last age in another pattern: the second digit is twice the first. Only 12, 24, 36, and 48 meet this pattern.
But , if all goes well and I live to a ripe old age, I can still look forward to a couple of ages with the opposite pattern: where the first digit is twice the second, as in 21, 42, 63, and 84.
Ages marking the start of a new decade are always pretty loaded. Everyone talks about the trauma of turning 30, 40, 50, or 60. But I've actually embraced those I've experienced so far, except, that is, for 20. Somehow, no longer being a teenager was far more upsetting to me at the time than turning 30 was or turning 50 could possibly ever be.
Okay, so by now you're either bored out of your mind or you think I'm sort of obsessive-compulsive about numbers. Maybe a little.
Do any of you ever pick up on patterns in numbers, in ages or anything else? What ages have been markers in your lives? Are there any you faced with dread?
Remember the Clairol commercial years ago that said, "You're not getting older; you're getting better?" Some days I feel it's true.
And other days? Well, then I just feel my age.
I'll be away three days this week, off-island bringing Daughter #1 to college. I'll still be posting, but I'm not sure what the internet situation will be where I'm staying. So if you don't hear from me, I'm still around and I'll be back on Friday. Wish me luck...
