To be the Even or the Prime
The obsession with drawing parallels from everyday events has not always worked well. A few days ago, the struggle to find the right platform for the Northern Line at the Euston Station was associated with the complexities of life and daily choices. Sounds weird, right? But finding the right train is nothing less than a mountain to climb. With so many platforms and various trains on each, the station inflicts misery and unnecessary pounds for commuters. In my head, the platforms depicted the range of choices we have, and there is only one right train – leading to your destination. But, enough with my rambling over trains. The point is that I make silly comparisons and somehow make simple things sound interesting.
As far as my memory serves well, the first instance of comparisons began during a random Mathetamics class in grade 6, where boredom got the better of me. As the teacher explained integers, even, odd and many more terms, my quick understanding granted me the liberty to observe and ponder while the rest had their eyes glued on the board.
For some reason, even numbers were a fan-favourite in the class, with odd numbers subject to unnecessary hate. Maybe the literal meaning of the latter led to this dissent. Somehow, the multiples of 2 brought satisfaction that odd numbers failed to do so. They are easy to divide, blend in well and are easier to remember. No wonder people keep the volume of their TV set on an even number (do correct me if wrong).
Yet, there was another term that the teacher wrote on the board that caught my attention. Hardly given the spotlight, I learnt about Prime Numbers. I must admit, my initial enthusiasm for the term stemmed from my obsession with Optimus Prime, with the Transformers cartoon series being a daily watch on Cartoon Network. However, upon observing the norms and rules associated with Prime numbers, my mind swirled into a complicated thought that somehow projected Prime numbers as my aspiring future personality.
The world may favour even numbers, but my mind categorised them as the people pleasers. The traits of even numbers can be easily replicated by any person pleaser, and these individuals lack uniqueness. That is where Prime Numbers come in. The ability to stand out, create an impact, and be a rarity in a world of people bulging away from their principles to fit in the crowd. So whenever you face the choice of deciding who to become, remember you need to be the prime number – don’t break and stand out.
