So, you are a curious soul! Wonderful! It indeed is a great tool to have. 17 is one of a kind, while 19 has something to do with the moon's Metonic cycle. Then, there is a little something about a happy number. Please read on to unravel more. You could also click on the individual links below to jump only to that specific section.
I wanted to write something which represents hope... something that incites faith. Hope is primarily a strong aspect of individuals who are soft yet strong, people who are one of a kind... those who can stand on odds yet have the hope to make things work for them. What better number to represent this than the number 17!
17 not only symbolises hope, but also represents people who are soft and are equally strong. 17 is the only prime number (the 7th prime number) which is the sum of 4 consecutive prime numbers, one of them being 2, the only even prime. This gives a perspective of uniqueness, which I needed.
Then, how do I incorporate 17 in the writing? Yes, something similar to a Haiku will do...for a Haiku has 17 syllables. Thus, I ended up writing the essence of the 2 stories, each of 17 words. The 2 stories represented finding the beauty of love without conditions and boundaries, while also hoping for brighter days.
The contrast of something being there and yet not was my theme. Like the sun and moon. The sun is viewed to be stationary (in art), while the moon keeps rotating the earth. To represent this journey beautifully (that the moon has been in), it visits the exact same position every 19 years, completing the Metonic cycle. This marks the ending of one episode and also the beginning of another. Why not choose 19 words to show the contrast of something which is there but still not there, just like the beginning and ending of the moon's journey.
19 does represent the sun and happiness, and it also represents the moon. 19 is the number having the beginning (1) as well as the end (9). 19 can also show the contrast because it is palindromic in roman numerals. Additionally, 17 and 19 form twin primes. Thus, I picked the 19 word limit to signify the presence of a feeling which is there but quite not yet, for it is unexpressed.
For my next short expression, I wanted to keep up with the limiting word count. However, the story I had didn't justify to be represented by 17 or 19 or by any number that I could think of at that time. Rather than using it for the representation of the story, I decided to use a number to represent the day on which it was written, 8th of June.
Then I was reminded of the 8th Happy number, 31, which is also the sum of the first 8 digits of the marvellous pi. Thus, I could represent the day 8th. Additionally, 31, which is a Mersenne prime, represents optimism and communication, which the story is all about. 31 is also the 11th prime number, and 11 is currently one of my favorite numbers. The sum of the first 31 prime numbers equals the square (power 2) of 31. Since the story is about the communication between two entities (2 represented by square), 31 fit perfectly. And I already had 6 reasons and I didn't need any further, for the current month is also the sixth month. Ergo, I decided to use 31 words.
What next then? I am unaware too. When a story unravels itself, I will probably know then. Till then, keep living the moment, its One Life To Live.
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