THE NUMBERS HIGHWAY

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- AUGUST 31, 2024

As we travel down life's highway, we're confronted by numbers at every curve. Even if you're not a fan of numbers, you can't escape them. The key is to just keep trekking until you discover a a digit that strikes your fancy. 

 

For instance, something as basic as breathing involves some interesting numbers. “If we could track our breaths the way many people do steps or exercise, the results would be astonishing. Scientists estimate that an average person takes 20,000 to 25,000 breaths over the course of twenty-four hours.” 

 

All that panting adds up. “It breaks down to between twelve and eighteen breaths per minute for an adult. All those inhales and exhales add up, and by age fifty, the average human has taken at least 400 million breaths.” (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/people-breathe-roughly-20000-times-every-day/)

 

Since breathing is the type of thing you want to keep doing, having an angel watching over you could be beneficial. This is where “angel numbers” come into play. “You know when you start seeing a specific number pop up in random places all the time? It can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

 

So what is an angel number? According to a Reader's Digest article: “Angel numbers are repeating numbers or number sequences, like 1111 or 777, that are believed to be messages from our personal celestial team of angels. They are used to get our attention, remind us of something important in our lives.” 

 

An example might be seeing a lot of eights. “Although 777 might be lucky, it’s actually 888 you want to look out for as a financial sign from the angels. This angel number is associated with financial luck and a path to financial success.” More angel numbers and their meanings at: https://www.rd.com/article/angel-numbers-meaning/.

 

Adding to your backup angels, it's also beneficial to have friends. A NiceNews.com article notes: “Friends can lift our spirits, offer support, and give us a sense of belonging. Research suggests they’re also crucial for health and well-being. People with strong friendships tend to be happier and live longer than those without.”

 

The article points out that there are seven types of friends that everyone needs.  One bit of advice stresses two categories. “Most people choose friends in their age range who share similar life experiences. However, people ten years or more your senior may have more lived experience, enabling them to provide a broader perspective. Younger friends can offer fresh perspectives, too. For instance, young people tend to be more current on technology and popular culture, which can teach you new skills and broaden your horizons.” (https://nicenews.com/humanity/friendship-types-everyone-needs/)

 

One thing a close friend could ask you to do is for the two of you to get matching tattoos. A Pew Research study reveals numbers that makes getting a tattoo more common than you might think. “A large majority of U.S. adults say society has become more accepting of people with tattoos in recent decades. Thirty-two percent of adults have a tattoo themselves, including twenty-two percent who have more than one.” 

 

Age and gender don't seem to matter much. “Some forty-one percent of those under thirty have at least one tattoo, as do forty-six percent of those ages thirty to forty-nine, and a quarter of adults ages fifty to sixty-four. Thirty-eight percent of women have at least one tattoo, compared with twenty-seven percent of men.” More statistical data about tattoos is at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/15/32-of-americans-have-a-tattoo-including-22-who-have-more-than-one/. 

 

Ink aside, you know, someone is really your friend if they will buy you some ice cream. Nothing says “friendship” like a free ice cream cone. In this case, the numbers show you may want to search for a friend from New Zealand. 

 

“Americans are known to love their ice cream, but when it comes to ice cream consumption, the U.S. ranks second to New Zealand, whose citizens annually enjoy an average of 7.5 gallons of ice cream per person.” Americans average about five gallons. 

 

In both countries the most popular flavor is vanilla. In the USA, chocolate comes in second. However, New Zealand's number two is way more unique. “New Zealanders’ second-favorite flavor is hokey pokey. “Hokey pokey ice cream consists of a vanilla ice cream base with small bits of honeycomb toffee, known as hokey pokey, mixed in.”

 

Oddly enough, Italy has a role in this saga. “The toffee itself existed long before the ice cream flavor’s creation, but the flavor may get its name from the slang term used to describe a type of cheap ice cream sold by street vendors (often Italian immigrants) who were known as hokey pokey men.” (https://interestingfacts.com/delicious-facts-about-ice-cream/)

 

Finally, if you want to end the summer with a uniquely Michigan ice cream this Labor Day, the magic number is one. That's because Superman ice cream is only available in our state (and a little bit in Ohio and Wisconsin). “If you’re a Michigander, chances are you spent most of your summers buried in blue, yellow, and red ice cream cones.” (https://www.jupmode.com/blogs/news/superman-ice-cream-facts-about-michigans-iconic)

 

Superman is sort of mysterious. It was invented in Detroit. “Superman ice cream was first created during the Prohibition era, around 1920–1933 by the Stroh Brewery Company. Michigan’s iconic treat premiered way before the fictional hero appeared in action comics in 1938.” 

 

One of the flavors in the mixture is Blue Moon, but no one really knows what that flavor is supposed to taste like. “On the outside, Blue Moon is aqua-blue and undeniably delicious. But the flavor’s mixture is still unknown.” 

 

So, Superman Ice cream makes us kind of special. “Believe it or not, some people in other states have never tasted this iconic summer treat.” Have a super  Labor Day weekend. 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read NeffZone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.