Twelves

Today is December 12, 2012, or as they write it in Europe, 12 December 2012.  Any way you cut it, it's 12-12-12; we have intercontinental harmony at last, at least for one day.  Sometime before, I mentioned that I have a minor fixation with numbers despite the fact that I'm mathematically challenged, and I may have mentioned that my favorite number is twelve.  Obviously, then, today has an unusual interest for me.

I read a story about a child somewhere in the country who is celebrating his twelfth birthday today and, remarkably, was born at 12.12p.  I can't even imagine how that feels. 

Today is the last day for nearly a milennium that such a confluence of numbers will occur.  Think about that for a moment.

In any event (heh), this gives me the opportunity to wax obnoxious and obtuse about my favorite number.  It became my favorite number because when I was growing up, quarterbacks traditionally chose that number.  Since I fancied myself a leader, I thought that was a good number to have even though I never strapped on a pair of shoulder pads because our Mother wouldn't sign the insurance waiver.

Here then is a partial list of notable twelves.  Some may only be notable to me, but many will be familiar to others as well:

There are twelve hours in each half of a day.

There were twelve disciples.

There are twelve months in the year and twelve signs of the zodiac.

There are twelve days of Christmas.

Hercules had twelve labors to accomplish.

Twelve strikes are needed for a perfect game in bowling.

There are twelve members in most US juries.

There are twelve inches in a foot.

Twelve-step programs help people recover from addictions.

There are twelve basic hues in the color wheel.

The Twelfth Man is a part of American college football lore.

Twelve people have walked on the moon.

King Arthur surrounded himself with twelve knights.

There are twelve faced cards in a deck of cards.

Eggs are sold by the dozen.

John Basilone is buried in section 12 of Arlington Cemetery.

There are probably plenty of other references to the significance of twelve.  Everyone has his or her favorite number.  But mine is twelve.  Feel free to post your own significant twelve references. 

(c) 2012 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles