Lucky #13

Today, I want to share our family connection to the number 13. 

As I have shared my Dad was a Seattle Police officer for nearly 40 years.  He loved his job.  Like, REALLY LOVED HIS JOB.   He was a really great man. And an even better policeman.   He spent over 20 years of his time in the department as a K-9 officer.  Yep!  We grew up with police dogs as our family pets!!!  It was really cool to me, and I cherish my childhood memories.  My Dad was K-9 13.  Lucky # 13.  My dad loved it.  He didn’t like even numbers. I can’t remember why. 

So, we were K-9 13.  And my earliest memories of connection are of me always pointing out when I saw the number 13. I was pretty young.   But I looked for 13s everywhere and all the time.  I have a memory of my mom when we were checking in to a hotel, in Spokane, on a road trip to Missoula.  She pointed out that hotels don’t have 13th floors.  Hmm.  It’s weird to me.  I had just started on my journey of the love of the # 13. 

I played volleyball in high school. Not well I was not and still am not very athletic.  But I probably had the number 13 at some point in time on a volleyball jersey.

My mom’s work was a sponsor of the old WHL Seattle Thunderbirds, and we had tickets behind the goal in the 2nd or 3rd rows at the Mercer Arena in Seattle.

 You already know…  Whoever was #13 was gonna be my favorite.  Victor Gervais. I do know he went on to play in the NHL.  I never met him.  I still remember #13.

There have been signs with the number 13, that I have shared with those who can appreciate them more than I, and they are helping me open my mind and perspectives on signs and why we see them in the ways that we do.  

I had an instance one night driving home from one of my private golf club jobs. So tired and frustrated with the day I just had.  I just wanted to get home. It was a hot summer night, and I was beat.  I rolled down all my windows, opened my sunroof and blasted the music.  I don’t remember what I was listening to. It was a quick 20 minute drive on the freeway.  Perfect amount of time to decompress and just let the day melt off and clear out.  I got stuck behind a semi-truck,  going 10mph less than the speed limit and this semi-truck could not get up to speed.  I had no choice but to notice the numbers on the back of the truck doors.  In black blocky numbers 1313.    Hi Dad. 

Seeing 1313 and feeling stuck behind this truck, I had a thought of ‘chill out”.  Don’t let your frustrations take over, get you into a road rage, and pull stupid ass lane changes. So, I did.  I watched those numbers the whole way home.  I stayed behind that truck until I took the off ramp to home. 

XOXO

BRI

Postscript: Lucky #13

What is the story behind the number 13 being lucky or unlucky? I don’t know. I grew up with the same things you all did. My grandpa would never leave the house on Friday the 13th, once he was retired. My grandma paid it no mind. Why did he stay home? What scared him so much? Or just superstition that made for fun with his grandkids.

My mom never paid any attention to the number 13. Just that it was Dad’s K9 #.

K9-13. Dad was always proud. He was not a prideful man, in his habits. But he was very proud of who and what he was able to build from nothing. Maybe he took the #13, cuz, he wanted to be different? Maybe he took the number 13, because he wanted to show himself that he could create his own luck/lot in life. Or maybe, he just became K9-13, because that was the only available K9 number at that time? If I was told, I have forgotten. Dad is gone and now, I just have to find out from his friends and my family.

The lore of the number 13 ranges from great to bad. It gives masculine and feminine traits that are interesting and mystical, scary, and just plain don’t make sense. That’s why I want to dig into it. To determine the paths, we may have been placed on without realizing that it was chosen for us and not us choosing our paths.

Whatever the lores are, hopefully, we have a great time and journey learning together!

XOXO

BRI

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