Rudy Schmidt
Electric Child
Interview with the Number 11
Although she may not be a single-digit A-lister like 8 or 3, 11 is still a well-known favourite in the world of numbers. With her iconic double digits and her easygoing style of multiplication, 11 has always been a fan favourite. Today, we're lucky enough to be able to get some 1-to-1 time with 11 herself.
Q: First, let's talk about your work. What's it like being 11? Do you have much down time?
A: I am relatively busy. I most frequently appear on calendars and birthday cards for children, but once in a while I get to appear in various sequels, particularly in literature. November is an especially busy month for me.
Q: Which recent appearence do you hear about most frequently?
A: Several years ago, I had a cameo in a comedy film called "This is Spinal Tap", in which I got to be the highest volume setting on a specially-made amp. I hear the line "but these amps go to eleven" at least every couple of weeks. It was actually a very exciting role for me, as most amps only go up as high as ten, so I got to do something out of the ordinary. At my age, that's a big deal, haha!
Q: You have an unexpected following from a fairly large but specific group of fans - tell us about that?
A: Ah, yes! Well, I get fan mail very frequently from the obsessive compulsive community. At first I was surprised, but once you get to know them, they're an endlessly fascinating group. At first I thought they liked me for my figure, and although my symmetry does play a large role, I think my style of multiplication really speaks to a lot of people, particularly within the obsessive compulsive community.
Q: Although you yourself have a very successful life as a number, you are the daughter of an extremely well-known number. What was it like growing up with that type of legacy?
A: You're referring to my mother, the number 1. My mother and I always had a very easy relationship, and she has always been there for me, particularly during the time I received my diagnosis. My mother has always been very busy, of course, so we didn't get to spend very much time together, but when we were together, it always felt very natural. Among my immediate family, I always felt as though my mother was the only one who really understood me. But as for the legacy, no, thank you - I could never do what my mother does. Being 11 is time-consuming enough!
Q: You mentioned a diagnosis - why don't you tell us about that?
A: Of course. When I was very young, I received a diagnosis informing me that I was a prime number. Prime is a condition that basically results in you not being able to divide by any other number except for yourself and 1. The diagnosis came some time after I got with my husband, the number 12. At first I was devastated - the realization that I'd never divide by anyone else overwhelmed me. My husband supported me to the best of his ability, but being 12, he could divide by not just himself and 1, but 2, 3, 4, and even 6, so I think he had a hard time understanding what I was going through.
Q: You say your mother helped you through that - do you feel that her influence helped you come to terms with your disability?
A: Absolutely. As I said, my mother was the only one I could really connect to during that period in my life. My mother is also a prime number, and she showed me that it didn't have to dictate who you were in life. Eventually I came to terms with it, and I realised that I am more than just my condition. I've learned to live my life to the fullest, and that even though I may not be able to divide with anyone, I've learned to focus on the things I'm best at, like multiplication. I try to raise awareness for other prime numbers wherever possible, and I feel like knowing that I have been able to accomplish everything I have whilst still being a prime number is an inspiration to others with my condition.
Q: We've talked about your mother - tell me about your family and relationships?
A: I have been married to the love of my life, the number 12, for longer than I can remember. He's been with me through everything, and we've appeared a lot together during our careers, but mainly we just feel right. We have 131 beautiful children, and I can't see any one number ever coming between us. I also grew up with 10, but we seem to have drifted apart. As children we spent a lot of time together, but since decimalization became popular, he's been so busy that we haven't seen much of each other. I actually met 13 at a group I joined after I received my diagnosis; I feel like he's gotten a very bad reputation over the years for reasons beyond his control - he's actually a very sweet guy once you get to know him. Of course, I have to mention my frequent co-performer, the number 22 - she's my best friend, and I love her more than just about anything!
Q: Before we finish, I want to address the 'scale' comments many people make about you - do they offend you?
A: Haha! No, they don't. The scale of 1-to-10 is, as you know, a very busy and very popular group, to which I narrowly missed the cut. When somebody wants to emphasize something intensely, they sometimes jokingly say "on the scale of 1-10, I'm an 11". It's not offensive, and I do find it funny. The fact that I'm not in that group is not a sore point for me - the numbers 1-10 are extremely busy, and I don't think I'm cut out for that type of a life.
Q: 11, you've been great, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
A: My pleasure!
Look out for 11 on calendars, price tags, and on a range of other numerical sequences, and
feel free to say 'hi'! 11 has a beautiful personality and is always appreciative to meet a fan!
I love 11.
Although she may not be a single-digit A-lister like 8 or 3, 11 is still a well-known favourite in the world of numbers. With her iconic double digits and her easygoing style of multiplication, 11 has always been a fan favourite. Today, we're lucky enough to be able to get some 1-to-1 time with 11 herself.
Q: First, let's talk about your work. What's it like being 11? Do you have much down time?
A: I am relatively busy. I most frequently appear on calendars and birthday cards for children, but once in a while I get to appear in various sequels, particularly in literature. November is an especially busy month for me.
Q: Which recent appearence do you hear about most frequently?
A: Several years ago, I had a cameo in a comedy film called "This is Spinal Tap", in which I got to be the highest volume setting on a specially-made amp. I hear the line "but these amps go to eleven" at least every couple of weeks. It was actually a very exciting role for me, as most amps only go up as high as ten, so I got to do something out of the ordinary. At my age, that's a big deal, haha!
Q: You have an unexpected following from a fairly large but specific group of fans - tell us about that?
A: Ah, yes! Well, I get fan mail very frequently from the obsessive compulsive community. At first I was surprised, but once you get to know them, they're an endlessly fascinating group. At first I thought they liked me for my figure, and although my symmetry does play a large role, I think my style of multiplication really speaks to a lot of people, particularly within the obsessive compulsive community.
Q: Although you yourself have a very successful life as a number, you are the daughter of an extremely well-known number. What was it like growing up with that type of legacy?
A: You're referring to my mother, the number 1. My mother and I always had a very easy relationship, and she has always been there for me, particularly during the time I received my diagnosis. My mother has always been very busy, of course, so we didn't get to spend very much time together, but when we were together, it always felt very natural. Among my immediate family, I always felt as though my mother was the only one who really understood me. But as for the legacy, no, thank you - I could never do what my mother does. Being 11 is time-consuming enough!
Q: You mentioned a diagnosis - why don't you tell us about that?
A: Of course. When I was very young, I received a diagnosis informing me that I was a prime number. Prime is a condition that basically results in you not being able to divide by any other number except for yourself and 1. The diagnosis came some time after I got with my husband, the number 12. At first I was devastated - the realization that I'd never divide by anyone else overwhelmed me. My husband supported me to the best of his ability, but being 12, he could divide by not just himself and 1, but 2, 3, 4, and even 6, so I think he had a hard time understanding what I was going through.
Q: You say your mother helped you through that - do you feel that her influence helped you come to terms with your disability?
A: Absolutely. As I said, my mother was the only one I could really connect to during that period in my life. My mother is also a prime number, and she showed me that it didn't have to dictate who you were in life. Eventually I came to terms with it, and I realised that I am more than just my condition. I've learned to live my life to the fullest, and that even though I may not be able to divide with anyone, I've learned to focus on the things I'm best at, like multiplication. I try to raise awareness for other prime numbers wherever possible, and I feel like knowing that I have been able to accomplish everything I have whilst still being a prime number is an inspiration to others with my condition.
Q: We've talked about your mother - tell me about your family and relationships?
A: I have been married to the love of my life, the number 12, for longer than I can remember. He's been with me through everything, and we've appeared a lot together during our careers, but mainly we just feel right. We have 131 beautiful children, and I can't see any one number ever coming between us. I also grew up with 10, but we seem to have drifted apart. As children we spent a lot of time together, but since decimalization became popular, he's been so busy that we haven't seen much of each other. I actually met 13 at a group I joined after I received my diagnosis; I feel like he's gotten a very bad reputation over the years for reasons beyond his control - he's actually a very sweet guy once you get to know him. Of course, I have to mention my frequent co-performer, the number 22 - she's my best friend, and I love her more than just about anything!
Q: Before we finish, I want to address the 'scale' comments many people make about you - do they offend you?
A: Haha! No, they don't. The scale of 1-to-10 is, as you know, a very busy and very popular group, to which I narrowly missed the cut. When somebody wants to emphasize something intensely, they sometimes jokingly say "on the scale of 1-10, I'm an 11". It's not offensive, and I do find it funny. The fact that I'm not in that group is not a sore point for me - the numbers 1-10 are extremely busy, and I don't think I'm cut out for that type of a life.
Q: 11, you've been great, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
A: My pleasure!
Look out for 11 on calendars, price tags, and on a range of other numerical sequences, and
feel free to say 'hi'! 11 has a beautiful personality and is always appreciative to meet a fan!
I love 11.
