I wrote these stories years before artificial intelligence became my writing
companion. Today, at 91 and nearing 92, I am revisiting some of them not
to change my memories, but to see what I understand differently after
another decade of living.
Why Numbers 7 and 11 Still Fascinate Us
Have you ever looked at a clock and noticed that it
reads 7:11?
Many people pause at that moment. Some make a wish. Some smile
and take it as a small sign that the universe is paying attention. Others
dismiss it as coincidence. But even those of us who consider ourselves
practical, scientific, or skeptical can feel a brief tug of curiosity when
certain numbers appear again and again in our lives.
I have long been interested in the special place that numbers occupy
in family stories, religious traditions, astrology, numerology, gambling,
birthdays, anniversaries, and even the naming of children.
For one of my cousins in the Philippines, the numbers 7 and 11 were
more than interesting. They were almost a personal trademark.
He worked in coffee-table book publishing, producing glossy books
about prominent families, successful businesspeople, mothers and
daughters, fathers and sons, and people known in Philippine society.
His books were handsome, expensive, and designed to preserve a family’s
name in print. In that world, a place in a book could be seen not only as
publicity but also as a kind of social immortality.
My cousin had a particular fondness for 7 and 11. His prices, the number
of people profiled, the number of copies distributed, and even the timing
of events seemed to circle around those two numbers. I remember listening
to his plans for a book about Filipino Americans and being amused by
how thoroughly he had organized it around 11.
There would be 11 featured Filipino Americans. The book would be
launched on November 11. If possible, the ceremony would begin at
11:11 in the morning. Even the menu and guest list were imagined in terms
of 7s, 11s, and multiples of them. Was this business strategy? Was it
showmanship? Was it superstition? Perhaps it was a little of all three.
What amused me most was not simply his belief in lucky numbers. It was
his confidence that numbers could give an event a special aura, something
memorable, mysterious, and blessed by fate.
I did not join his project. At the time, I felt that paying to be included in a
“Who’s Who” book was not for me. I had already begun writing my own life
story online, in my own words, without needing a glossy book or a ceremonial introduction.
Still, I understood the appeal. Most of us want our lives to be noticed.
We want to believe that our work, our struggles, and our family history matter.
A book, a name in print, or even a supposedly lucky number can offer a
small reassurance that we have left a mark.
My Own Lucky Number: 77
I do not consider myself a superstitious person. As a scientist by training,
I tend to look for evidence, logic, and cause and effect. Yet I must admit
that I have always thought of 7 and 11 as pleasant, fortunate numbers.
When I turned 77, I felt particularly grateful. Reaching that age was
not merely a numerical achievement. It meant that I was still here,
still writing, still blogging, still remembering my childhood in the Philippines,
still learning new things, and still able to share thoughts with readers
around the world.
At a certain age, birthdays become less about parties and presents.
They become reminders of survival, gratitude, and unfinished work.
Seventy-seven seemed like a good number for that reflection: two sevens
side by side, like old companions walking together.
Of course, no number can guarantee a long life, a happy marriage,
financial security, or good health. But numbers can become symbols.
They help us tell stories about time. They mark the day we were born,
the day we married, the number of children or grandchildren in a family,
the years we spent in a profession, and the anniversaries we remember.
Numbers may not control our destiny, but they certainly help us organize
our memories.
Names, Numbers, and My Mother-in-Law
My late mother-in-law believed deeply in a form of numerology that
was passed down through her family. She believed that the numerical
values assigned to the letters in a person’s baptismal name could reveal
whether a person’s presence would bring good fortune, uncertainty,
danger, misfortune, or even something more ominous to a household.
To many readers, especially those raised in a scientific culture, this may
sound like pure superstition. And perhaps it is. Numerology is not a science,
because its claims cannot be reliably tested or proven in the same way
that scientific ideas can. But it would be too easy to dismiss such beliefs
without understanding their emotional role in family life.
For my mother-in-law, numerology was a way of protecting the family.
It gave her a framework for making sense of births, marriages, illnesses,
financial setbacks, and unexpected events. It was a system through which
she tried to reduce uncertainty in a world where so much can happen
beyond our control.
My wife respected her mother’s beliefs, and when our four children
were named, numerology was part of the discussion. I went along with it,
although I did not fully believe that a name could determine a child’s future.
Perhaps that was my compromise between reason and family harmony.
Many husbands will understand this.
The system used by my mother-in-law classified numbers into several
categories. Some were considered fortunate, others doubtful, dangerous,
unlucky, or “condemned.” The letters in a baptismal name were converted
into numerical values and added together. Then the names of husband,
wife, children, and sometimes even other members of the household
were considered as part of the family’s overall numerical balance.
I will not reproduce her complete method here. My wife has always
preferred that certain family practices remain private. But I remember
clearly how seriously these calculations were taken.
When I was young, I found such beliefs strange. As I grew older,
I came to see them differently. They were part of a larger inheritance:
a mixture of Filipino custom, Spanish colonial influence, Chinese beliefs,
Catholic practice, folk wisdom, and the deeply human desire to protect
those we love.
Filipino Beliefs and Chinese Influence
The Philippines has absorbed cultural influences from many parts of
the world. Our traditions are a rich mixture of indigenous customs,
Malay roots, Spanish colonial history, Chinese trade and migration,
American influence, and Catholic religious practice.
This is one reason Filipino beliefs about luck can be so colorful
and varied.In Chinese culture, certain numbers are considered fortunate
or unfortunate because of the way their pronunciations resemble other words.
For example, the number 4 is often avoided in some Chinese-speaking
communities because its pronunciation can resemble the word for “death.”
The number 8, on the other hand, is widely associated with prosperity
and wealth because of its sound and symbolism.
In the family numerology system I encountered, the meanings were
not always the same. A number considered favorable in one tradition
could be considered risky in another. That is what makes these beliefs
fascinating. Numbers themselves are neutral. A 4 is simply a 4. An 8
is simply an 8. But human beings give them emotion, history, language,
and meaning.
A number can become a warning, a promise, a prayer, a memory,
or a family joke. In the United States, many buildings omit the 13th floor
because some people associate 13 with bad luck. In Italy, 17 has
traditionally been regarded by some as unlucky. In Japan, 4 may be
avoided because of its association with death.
In many Western cultures, 7 is often thought to be fortunate:
seven days of the week, seven colors of the rainbow, seven notes in the
musical scale, and seven in many religious and literary traditions.
Even those who reject superstition may still hesitate before walking
under a ladder, opening an umbrella indoors, or saying something too
confidently for fear of “jinxing” it. We are more alike than we think.
New Year Traditions: Twelve Round Fruits
One of my favorite Filipino customs comes at New Year.
When I was growing up in the Philippines, my parents taught us
several things to do on New Year’s Eve to welcome prosperity and good
fortune in the year ahead. Some customs clearly reflected Chinese influence;
others were simply part of Filipino household life. The tradition I remember
most fondly was preparing 12 round fruits for the table, one fruit for each
month of the coming year.
Round fruits symbolize coins, wealth, fullness, and abundance. Families might
display oranges, apples, grapes, pomelos, melons, lanzones, or whatever
round fruits were available and affordable. The exact fruit mattered less than
the hopeful gesture behind it.
Other New Year practices in our home included:
Turning on lights to welcome a bright year ahead.
Making noise at midnight to drive away bad spirits and bad luck.
Opening doors, windows, cabinets, and drawers to invite good
fortune into the home. Filling one’s wallet with money as a symbol
of financial abundance.
Wearing polka dots or something with a circular pattern, because
round shapes represent coins and prosperity.
Eating sticky rice delicacies so that good fortune would “stick” to the family.
Serving long noodles, such as pancit, as a wish for long life.
Encouraging children to jump at midnight in the hope that they might
grow taller.
Of course, we know that jumping 12 times at midnight will probably
not increase anyone’s height. But it may increase laughter, and that is not
a bad way to begin a new year.
These customs are not scientific instructions for becoming rich or healthy.
They are family rituals. They give children something to remember and adults
a chance to hope together.
In a world often filled with anxiety, uncertainty, illness, conflict, and loss,
there is comfort in gathering around a table, sharing food, opening a window,
making noise, and saying: “May the coming year be better.”
Do Numbers Govern Us?
I do not believe that a number alone determines whether we will be lucky or
unlucky. A name does not condemn a child to failure. A birthday does not
guarantee success. A house with the number 13 is not cursed, and a person
born on the 7th or 11th is not automatically blessed.
Our lives are shaped by far more important things: health, education,
opportunity, character, family support, hard work, love, choices, and
sometimes plain chance. Yet I also believe that family traditions deserve
respect, even when we do not literally believe in them.
The stories we tell about numbers reveal something important about ourselves.
They show our desire for meaning in a complicated world. They remind us of
parents and grandparents who tried, in their own ways, to protect the people
they loved. They connect us to old countries, old languages, old kitchens,
old holidays, and old family conversations.
Perhaps that is why 7:11 still catches our attention.
Not because the universe is necessarily sending us a message, but because
we are always looking for one. And perhaps that is not foolish at all.
What numbers are considered lucky or unlucky in your family or culture?
Do you have a special birthday number, a naming tradition, or a New Year
custom that you still observe? I would love to hear your stories.
AI Impressions on this Topic:
Why this version works better. It preserves your personal voice: reflective,
conversational, Filipino-American, and lightly humorous.
It removes outdated promotional details tied to 2011 while retaining the
memorable story of your cousin.
It avoids calling your cousin’s project a “scam,” which could create
unnecessary legal or personal tension. Instead, it frames the matter
as a paid recognition project that did not suit you.
It clearly distinguishes numerology from science without mocking people who
practice it.
It gives worldwide readers cultural bridges: Chinese, Filipino, American,
Italian, Japanese, and Western associations with numbers.
It makes your New Year material a natural extension of the main theme
instead of a separate article pasted onto the page.
It ends with a warm invitation for comments, which is especially helpful for
engagement on HubPages and social media.
The original post is from an earlier era, its central event was planned for
November 11, 2011. so updating it as a present-day reflection rather than
preserving its old promotional details will make it feel timeless and more
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