In Harry Potter’s world, seventeen is the coming-of-age for wizards. Is that because they also need 17 Sickles to make one Galleon, and can buy their first Butter beer? 17 is regarded as the ‘least random number’ by MIT-so if you’re worried about a secure pass code, try another combination of digits.
The song ‘17’ by Smashing Pumpkins is 17 seconds long with no vocals. It is accompanied by a poem that when read aloud will not only conclude at the end of the song, but might use all 17 muscles in the tongue.
People afraid of the number 17 are diagnosed with ‘heptadecaphobia’ or ‘heptakaidekaphobia’. In a psych hospital, patients are called ‘17’. Hmmm.
In Italian culture, 17 is considered an unlucky number. Maybe that’s because in Roman numbers, 17 is written ‘XVII’, which when rearranged to ‘VIXI’ means “I have lived” in Latin.
To write a Japanese Haiku, the poet needs to create 17 syllables. No wonder Italian poets only use 14 lines in their sonnets.The band, The Cure, titled their second (and one of my favorite) albums ‘Seventeen Seconds’. Really-they’re not a Goth band. Lucky for me, the album lasts a lot longer than that.
Seventeen, to me, is nothing to fear. It’s something to celebrate! I actually loved being 17- I graduated from high school, went off to college, and was driving a convertible VW Thing. I never much liked to write Haiku, and if two of my favorite bands use that number in their music, it’s fine with me.
But the best part of seventeen for me is that is symbolizes the number of years that I’ve been married to the man that makes me laugh, that fathered my children, and that tries every day to do his best for me and his family. Happy 17.
Jennifer Wolfe
Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.
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15 thoughts on “Happy 17”