Will we ever run out of numbers, the way we ran out of band-aids and the good-smelling markers? Not if we keep on believing. So long as we have faith in numbers, they’ll always be around, watching from the shadows while we sleep.
Numbers will be here long after we’ve gone to the bathroom, and even when it becomes clear that we’re conducting some pretty serious business in there, numbers will wait patiently. A number is a loyal friend, one that would never light your cats on fire like a regular friend.
So the next time you see a number, give it a smile. Numbers just want to help, and if you tell them, “No thanks, I’ve got it,†they won’t get huffy. They’ll just tip their caps, give you a wink, and quietly urinate into your backpack.
—BEN ORLIN
