The Date That Will Never Come Again
Until the year 2012 there will be one day in each year which hi-tech geeks, superstitious worriers and conscientious gamblers will be drawn to like flies to honey. Of course I am talking about the days of the year that, when they are written out numerically, create symmetrical beauty that only a digital devotee can really appreciate in all its aesthetic depth. This year’s date was yesterday, the tenth of October, Two Thousand and Ten- I mean, 10-10-10. Yes we had one like it last year on Sept 9th, and the year before on August 8th, and going back a decade to that most beautiful of all dates 01-01-01. Yes, yes, there are also dates like 01-02-03; 06-08-10; and many others. But nothing quite holds a candle to dates like yesterdays; just ask some of the guys at the racetrack who came out in force on Sunday.
One gambler, Courtney McCaulsky, explained his desire to bet on the number ten horse in the tenth race, overlooking the fact that according to the way the numbers look, that horse really ought to come in tenth place. But that’s just my cynicism.
Explaining why he needed to bet on the ten horse at all, he said, “This day will never come again in the history of the world” he said as he smoked outside the parlor, flipping through his program to find a suitable race. When he came upon a race in New Jersey, the 10th race at Monmouth Park, he stopped.
“The one at Monmouth is definitely going to win” he said, referring to the 10 horse, Bella d’Oro. A few hours later, Mr. McCaulsky would enjoy the fruits of his superstition: Bella d’Oro won the race, leading every step of the way.
A similar phenomenon occurred among couples planning weddings. It just seemed so cool to get married on a date like 10-10-10. Think how it looks on the invitation, wedding album, and other dated memorabilia from the event, and perhaps there is something auspicious about it as well?
Michael Halkias, an owner of the Grand Prospect Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn, said many couples had wanted to hold their events on Sunday. “They came in here begging” Mr. Halkias said. “Everybody wants 10/10.”
Unfortunately the demand was greater than the supply, and not everyone who wanted Sunday to be their wedding anniversary got it. Getting married on 10-11-10, which in my opinion is also quite cool, was actually cheaper as far as renting the hall. Here’s hoping that all those gamblers and newly marrieds find what they were looking for on 10-10-10, and the rest of us, too.
