ON BECOMING 80

Photo by Joshua Jara.

Last month, on the 8th day of the 8th month, I became 80. What a hilariously ridiculous number. I have always loved the number 8, seeing it as upright infinity. But to see infinity follow by zero strikes me as oxymoronic, extremist and basically impossible. How does one choose? Does one believe in the optimism of infinity or the abyss of nothing?

The celebration was a three-day lovefest with family and friends. When Joel presented me with the birthday cake, I was relieved to see that it was not festooned with 80 bloody candles, the blowing out of which would have assured I wouldn’t reach 81. Instead, a mere 2 candles – an 8 and a 0 – made the solution obvious: with my right forefinger and thumb I extinguished the zero, leaving my favourite number upon which I made a wish that the 8 year- old me keeps me company either for infinity or until I become nothing.

With love,

Maggie