When you ask someone how many kids they have, or cats, or whatever, they will say two, or three, or none, or four, maybe even nine. But they won't say "oh nine."
Why then do so many people write 2009 as "09?" Next month will be a cool day: 9.9.9 or 9-9-9. I like to use periods in between, looks much more aesthetically pleasing. If you add a zero out of some kind of fearful compulsion to conform to an unspoken, unattributed convention, surely invented by some insidious puppet master of the masses, you will destroy the beautiful numeric poetry of that day's date.
9.9.9 is fine. No one will be confused but the utterly, hopelessly conformist variety of mass men and women.
I once had a Macomb County social worker with Master's degree add a zero to a date I had written a few years ago. That is state action infringing on my freedom of speech. I could have sued her.
If you do some Googling, you will see not everyone is anal about that superfluous zero. It is okay, really. If you have an ounce of free will in your body, try it, you might like it. Save some ink, too.
This is the last year in most of our lifetimes that we can do this and 9.9.9 is the last really cool date, but for 11.10.9, I suppose.
So if you dare, join me in a little rebellion! It feels good and the number nine will love you for it on 9.9.9!
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