WHAT IS ONE? It started with ONE and something I could not understand followed: I wrote a sort of equation representing ONE moment in a twenty-four hour period during the month of November. The moment was the 11th day of the year 2011. To make my new cerebral adventure more interesting, the moment read 11:11 AM or PM. 11-11-11 - 11:11. Soon enough, I became surrounded with words like lucidity, coherence, rationality, consistency even logic, law and reliability joined in. I made attempts to know their reason for entering my mind, and I could only find chaos. I was ONE in an imaginary circle. While geometry may be the quest for reality, Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, said: “Number is within all things!” Pythagoras wrote number and did not use the plural in his sentence. He must have had a good reason! With this in mind, I decided to explore my hypothetical equation. Soon a parade of ONES offered my mind no pathway to an exit. What at first, I deemed to have been pandemonium, demanded examination because something promising was happening. It was fluid and I could not hold on to it. Had I stumbled upon a mystery not yet clarified? Plato said, “You cannot conceive of the many without the ONE. The wholly ONE, a principle able to put the universe in a single, complex form.” Why did I not understand what Plato alleged? How could a single form be complex? Someone told me if I added the last two digits of my birth year and the number associated to my age, I would also create a series of ‘1s’. I tried! Lo and behold the addition proved to be a trio of ONES (1-1-1). Knowing that my time was limited, I decided to concentrate on the meaning of all the ONES (1-1-1) in front of me. It would take another one hundred years before I could review my finding. What was the significance in our lives today? 11 – 11 – 11 11:11 a complex set of ONES… A scholar I asked, thought a moment and said my idea was not consistent with anything, not coherent, not rational. In that case, what was it with ONE had I been cursed to explore? Could it be I was to explore the force between sets of ONES? The ONE that I am stands alone, that is a ‘1’. I dance with my partner, two ones (1 - 1) merging as ONE. Dancing in rhythmic, united movement creates a flow between two ONES. When bodies merge as ONE (1) for example in lovemaking, the involvement could also be described as excellent dancing. Could it be then, when ONE (1) merges with another ONE (1) there is surge? A surge of what Lucidity asked me? Though not prepared to answer, something else appeared in a not too distant horizon. I could perceive, while in the business of merging, that which flows between two ONEs reminds me of yet another word, ENERGY. It was pure science, the stuff traveling between the two ONEs was energy. This force, positively and negatively charged, creating from light to floods was, perhaps, what I was searching for? Was I pursuing the understanding of matter, physic or chemistry? I understand it takes a certain movement to CREATE. I was told ONE ( 1 ) was the number for CREATION, or was it the number of the ‘CREATOR’ energy? No one gave me the answer with any certainty! I felt creation or creator seemed consistent with my line of thinking. I discovered not long ago, when I synchronize my telephone and my computer all is well because the value traveling between the two ONES is energy under the guise of things digital. A binary language, a series of 1s and 0s in a coherent conversation about what I did not understand. I was approaching something consistent, therefore rational. I venture then to say when I put the power or energy of two ‘1s’ side-by-side something is enhanced. The power I call the Infinite becomes the singular and elusive force I cannot touch. This concept, moving in my direction, demanded that I become flexible in order to adjust something I did not understand. Something as complex as Plato suggested! A conclusion I called ONE, the Infinite number. Two ‘1s’ put side-by-side containing within each the subtle mystery to enhance the creative power of the Infinite. For the purpose of my exploration, I will stick to the examination of the month of November. ONE ONE (11) a symbol made by the magic of the left brain and its ability to count, and the doubling of the prime number and its infinite capabilities. The first force, the prime mover, the creator of multiplicity, came to mind and once more I knew I was touching the fruits of the divine. Out of my ruminations came the realization, it was not November that was in need of exploration, it is the number ONE (1). I had not yet become aware of the numerous ONEs in front of me and wondered how often did I not see what is in front of me, but that would be for a different time or a different essay. Was I questioning the possibility that the Infinite and its multiplicity was an expression able to resonate in today’s world? If my exploration was correct, it felt that all had been synchronized before I knew to count my birth year and the numbers of years I have walked on the planet. In the end, does not Alpha and Omega meet? Do we not learn something by amplifying failures and successes? We resonate with both the negatives and the positives of life. It would appear that Energy does not recognize the differences. It remains Energy! We, of the human race, apparently apply our own Energy when we negotiate with the positives and negatives to facilitate what we create. Again, the question may be something fundamental? Does Energy know the difference between positive and negative? Right and wrong, I also ask? Could the same law apply to humans? I propose, if we assemble many ONES, (1s) the interaction to follow may add strength and clarity to minds and hearts. Just perhaps, we could enhance the strength of each ONE. This interaction could have great meaning in matters of today’s world. There could be some rational, lucid, coherent, lawful and reliable moments in a world filled with turbulence. What is ONE without another ONE?