Better Off Jed

Today is my birthday. I’m not announcing it as a way to solicit well wishes. I don’t think I’m that desperate.

For anyone that knows Hebrew, you would know that the word chai means life. The “ch” is pronounced with that guttural sound. The same as in Chanukah. Chai rhymes with “tie”. If you are a fan of Fiddler on the Roof, you know the song that goes, “To Life, to life, L’Chaim…”. In fact, my Hebrew name is Chaim.

Less commonly known is that numbers can be expressed using Hebrew letters.  The same letters that make up the word chai equates to 18. Because the meaning of the word chai is “life”, the number chai carries a good luck aura. Growing up, it was common to get $18 birthday checks from relatives.

So, what could be better than chai (18)? Why, double chai (36), of course? That is how old I turn today.

My dad calls me this morning and we had the following exchange:

Dad: Happy Birthday!
Me: Thanks!
Dad: How does it feel to be double-chai?
Me: Hmm? Oh yeah. I guess twice as good!

A little later, my sister IMs me:

[08:38] Her: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
[08:38] Me: thanks!
[08:38] Her: How’s it feel to be double chai?
[08:38] Me: that’s what dad said!
[08:38] Her: lol

Later still, my mom calls :

Mom: Happy Birthday!
Me: Thanks!
Mom: So, you’re double-chai now!
Me: Oy!

Thinking about my age in terms of multiples of chai is not something that I do naturally and caught me off guard when my dad mentioned it. It’d be more natural for me to consider myself 18 big blinds old considering that I like to play $1/$2 No Limit Texas Holdem when I go to Atlantic City.

I guess I tend to think a bit differently than the rest of my family.  To Life, To Life, L’Holdem.