I think it’s safe to say that most people have a lucky number. For a variety of reasons, we all have that one number, that when it appears, we feel some sense of security and happiness, we see the number as a sign that things are going our way.

For me, that number has always been 11. Having been my grandfather’s favorite number, this favorite number was passed down to my father, so I grew up knowing nothing else than that the number 11 held extreme significance and luck.

Seeing how much my dad loved the number 11 made me associate with the number as well; it was simply out of the question to consider anything else.

In my house, the number 11 goes far beyond just being a normal lucky number. When your dad’s nickname is “dekeleven” and his friends call 11/11/11 “Deke Day” and throw him a surprise party, it’s hard not to feel more connected to 11. My obsession with the number has gotten to the point where my daily habits are forever linked to it. Every morning, I wake up to a multiple of 11, whether it be 7:55 or 8:33. If I’m at the gym, I do 11 reps of whatever exercise I am doing. When I submit a paper or assignment, I do so at a time of a multiple of 11, for extra good luck.

Call me crazy, I’m proud of my elevenness.

You might be asking, why? Why the obsession? How is this number more?

Well, when I was in 4th grade, my dad set up my email for me. He made my username “Sammyd11”. Since then, this has been my nickname with my dad and later on, some of my best friends. It always makes me smile to hear someone call me that, because I associate that nickname with the people I love most.

11 isn’t just a number for me, it is part of my identity.

I am Sammyd11, just as I am a Freshman at Villanova. It is innately part of me. Just as 11/11 is Deke Day for my dad’s friends, I’d like to think of 11/11 as a partial Sam day as well.

When thinking about the number 11, of course, the time 11:11 comes to mind, a time I think many people find lucky. 11:11 makes me smile because even at college, I am reminded of how my mom always stares at clock for the full minute, making full use of the time to dream up an extraordinary wish.

This is a ritual I’ve adopted, and as a friend pointed out to me recently, making that wish every night is a great way to have a moment each day to solely focus on positivity. As someone who strives for this mindset always, I feel proud that this moment every morning and night is not only bringing me luck, but aligning me with a more positive lifestyle.

Because of this, 11 is greater than a number, it represents my way of life, my positivity.

Even as I write this article, I feel a bit ridiculous. But isn’t that the fun of it? Isn’t it nice to have that thing that brings out a crazy obsession in you, that makes you feel excited and alive? That’s what identifying with the number 11 does for me, at least.

Even if he’s crazy, I am forever grateful that my dad is the one who brought this number to my attention. I’d like to think that my grandpa is up there in heaven, smiling and shaking his head amusedly reading this article, too.

So, next time you notice the time to be 11:11, make an extra big wish for me!

But don’t tell anyone, or it won’t come true.

Talk soon,

Sam

p.s. Yes, this is my 11th Odyssey article.