What is your favourite number? Better yet, why?
My lucky number when I was younger was 7. The reason is Raymond Bourque of course; my childhood idol.
We both played defence. Our first hockey teams were both the Bruins. He, of Boston. Me, of Lawfield.
Eeek. That has a Handmaid’s Tale overtone to it.
Both of our hockey careers started in 1979. Mine was minor hockey. The hockey career I am referring to when I reference Bourque, was of course when he entered the NHL as a rookie.
Both of our numbers also changed part way through our careers. Raymond gave his jersey to Phil Espisito when they retired his number in Boston, and Ray would wear #77 until he retired with the Avalanche in 2001.
For me, my favourite number changed because of someone I have always looked up to – my cousin, friend, and brother.
We played hockey together in the same division every other year as youth, but there was only one year we played on the same team and it’s a year I will always remember. It was the greatest group of guys period and I can and likely will go on about that.
After my cousin moved up the following year, I would forever ask for the number he wore – number 5. I don’t even know to this day if 5 was his favorite number, but it became mine because cousin Mike wore it and to this day, it’s still my lucky number.
In 5 days, I will be 50.
There are a lot of 5’s to celebrate today. The theme to our wedding was also ‘Then They Were Five’.
I mentioned sharing real names and some of my other writing for my birthday. Here is a link to the archive of our wedding blog.