One

A little story about knowing your worth

A lonely One was chatting with The Infinite Number.

The Infinite Number was so vast that some said he wasn’t really a number at all.  No-one could pin him down nor knew what he looked like, for he was constantly expanding. You had to talk to him as the rain calls the wind.

“Could I ask you something?”

One said, feeling a little insignificant in the presence of such an incomprehensible number.

“Oh course, One.”

came the reply.

“I’m confused as to what my value is. You see, sometimes people place me at the front of a load of other digits and I make up these enormous, magnificent numbers like 155,000, 1 million, 11 billion. I feel so incredibly important.…..a big deal!.”

The Infinite Number listened.

“But other times…..they stick a minus sign in front of me. I’m -1 or even worse -11, -1,1265……and I feel like shit. Lesser.”

“Ah - you mean negative! Happens to all numbers.”

“So what I really want to know is……which is it? Am I amazing, worth loads or am I…….”

He paused and hung his little head.

“Less than nothing?”

The Infinite Number took his time. After all, he had all the time in the world. He knew time was infinite. Finally he answered;

“Go look in the mirror.”

One did so. There he stood, the same number One he’d always been.

“What do you see?”

“I see a One.”

“That’s right. And it doesn’t matter where someone places you in a line up or even if they omit you altogether. YOU still carry the same worth. Sometimes you will be scrawled in grey. Sometimes you’ll be painted in gold. But YOU remain the same. Your value does not change.“

“I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

Said One more confused than ever.

“I’ve always felt………….strange……..”

The Infinite Number laughed.

“That’s because you’re ODD! Goes with the territory of being One. You may or may not join up with another and become Two some day, but that won’t go well until you truly appreciate your own value, know that you come first. Others may add or take away but they can never truly affect what you already are. One whole.”

“I’m so small though. What difference do I make….?”

The Infinite Number liked this question. So often he was thought of as ‘everything’ but he, himself was born of just One concept.

“It takes One sun to brighten a day, One star to shine light and show the way. One good meal to fill a stomach. One smile to cheer someone. One fated meeting to change a life.”

“You’re right!”

said One, finally realising his true value.

“I’m One. I’m whole. I intend to make my One count. My One will make a difference. I will change the world!”