1111

About twenty years ago, I had been speaking with a friend on the telephone. At some point in the conversation, he asked me what time it was. It had been 11:11 PM. We had been having a positive conversation about religion, and when I told him the time, he commented, offhandedly, that these vertical numbers, the ones, can be symbolic of our relationship with God. Since that conversation, so long ago, I have noticed the number 1111 or have happened to catch 11:11 on a digital clock, at coincidental times.

I did a Google search on this so-called phenomenon of the "elevens" and there are all sorts of speculations, some rather outlandish, as to why many people find meaning in seeing this number. Perhaps, it may be that once significance is attached to a particular thing, a number in this case, one is more likely to notice it. Yet, for me, 1111 has become a comforting little sign.

Throughout the years, since that telephone conversation, 1111 has served as a sacramental to me, a holy reminder, to say a little prayer when I happened to see the number. I had also noticed that I would see the number, 1111 or notice the time, 11:11, after I had done something good, such as an unselfish act to help someone.  I saw it as a confirmation that I had done the right thing and that God was communicating to me that He was pleased. 

One summer day, a few years ago, I had been walking along Main Street in my town. I was thinking about my teaching career. I loved my profession and put my heart and soul into teaching children. One becomes a stockbroker, not a Catholic School teacher, to make money, and I would often remind myself that God's plan for me was to give up my stockbroker's license and to follow a teaching career. (I will post separately to the blog just how this came about.)

As I strolled through town, I reminisced about how rewarding it had been and how happy it would make me feel when my class was complimented on  their performance, when they won awards, when they sang beautifully at Masses the songs I had taught them.

All of a sudden, a dark thought came to my mind that my career choice not only involved a financial sacrifice, but there was little merit in it because all my hard work had been motivated by pride in excelling as a teacher, I asked God,to give me a sign that this intrusive thought was not true. Within seconds, I saw in large, black bold numbers, 1111, on a yellow taxi that had stopped right in front of me. They were the last four digits of the phone number of the L.I. Yellow taxi service. I remember reading that the yellow and black combination of colors were the most eye-catching when used in combination. 


I found this on Google:


In 1907, car salesman John Hertz looked at his surplus of traded-in cars and decided to start a taxicab business. Since taxis need to stand out in a sea of cars, Hertz reportedly commissioned a study to determine which color was easiest to spot at a distance. The answer was yellow.

I believe that God did not want me to entertain my disheartening thought for very long, and He made sure I got the message loud and clear!  And I have never again doubted the purity of my intentions as a teacher.


Joan Virzera
www.catholic-collectibles.com