Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Instances of the number 43

Recently I turned 43, and it's been 43 days since my last post. I only noticed after thinking, 'it can't be that long since I last posted...' but it has. So why did I decide to post today, rather than on New Year's Day or my birthday? There ought to be some meaning or significance in that. I wish I knew what it was.

I find the number 43 odd. The same way some words look odd when you write them down and then think, 'that can't be right...' A good friend tells me it may be because it's a prime number and therefore only divisible by itself and 1. So 43 is a number that doesn't play nice with others. Both 42 and 44 are somehow more approachable.  There ought to be some meaning or significance in that. I wish I knew what it was.

In advertisements when I was a child, Nescafe told us there were 43 beans in every cup. Twenty years later, when first introduced to chocolate coated coffee beans, an acquaintance ate them by the handful on the basis of that advertising campaign. He regretted it later when he didn't sleep that night. The only meaning and significance I can find in that is caveat emptor or perhaps all marketers are liars.

Anyway, I've decided to commit to posting for the next 43 days (starting tomorrow). Basically, it's harnessing serendipity to create an arbitrary and convenient goal post to aim toward in this post-Christmas summer slacking season. There ought to be some meaning or significance in that. If you find some, do let me know what it is.

No comments: