‘67’ provides joy from the smallest things
At least once a week, I find myself sitting in some of my classes struggling to stay awake, stressed with the never-ending list of assignments that pile on my Canvas. My attention drifts off as I daydream my after-school plans, and then my attention is once again grasped by two numbers. A slight smile often forms on my face as the smallest giggles can be heard around the classroom, and my teacher sometimes looks annoyed with the teenage fascination over two numbers we have heard our entire lives.
For nearly a year, “67” jokes have been heard across campus. And no, I cannot tell you what the meaning behind it is; I truthfully do not even know. In every classroom, from elementary school to high school, smiles and laughter can be exhibited when a teacher puts these two numbers together. I understand that teachers can get annoyed when these numbers accidentally pop up in a math lesson, but I think it is so sentimental that teenagers–almost adults–can find joy out of the smallest phrases.
Even my peers often question why I smile and laugh at such a random and unimportant phrase, but I completely reject these concerns, focusing on my ability to grasp onto one last thing before adulthood.
Every week, I work with kindergarten students at a local religious school. I often see parallels between myself and my teachers, frequently getting annoyed when they come up to me laughing about “67,” as it just seems like such a ridiculous joke to laugh at. But, at the end of the day, I join them with giggles as I am so grateful they are also able to find joy from such an insignificant moment. In a world of such seriousness and what seems like a constant cycle of bad news, I find it absolutely beautiful that teenagers can resonate with their elementary school peers as they laugh about numbers.
Consumed by college applications and the overwhelming decisions of senior year, a constant reminder of my childhood follows me around, comforting me with the idea that we are all still children at heart. Disney princesses and minions can be found on backpacks in each senior classroom, and just as our younger counterparts, I truly believe it is sentimental that we are able to also find joy from something so random. As with every other trend, this too will come and go, and soon, math classes will return to normality with numbers simply being numbers. But, for the time being, realizing that teenagers can smile and laugh about this meaningless joke allows me to be grateful for the smallest things.
