"There were 22 steps up to our apartment in Iowa."
I met someone for the first time today and in the course of our conversation she said, "there were 22 steps up to our apartment in Iowa." For some reason this statement struck me as odd. Not so much that it would come up in a conversation, especially a conversation with me, but rather...Why would someone know how many steps there were leading up to their apartment? Do most people know this definitively how many steps are in their houses? It got me thinking...Do I know how many steps lead up to my house? Of course I do! Don't I? It's six. Definitely six. Or maybe it's five. Definitely five. Well I'm sure, without a doubt, that it is most likely five or six. How is it that some people just KNOW without a shadow of a doubt how many steps lead up to their apartments and I, having lived here most of my life since 1972, have to go out and count to make sure. I was right...by the way...it is five or six...unless you count the last one that leads into the front door. Then it's seven.
Being a junior scientist (2nd degree) I decided to try an experiment. I asked the other people in the house at the time just how many steps they thought were here. I got a wider range of answers. One person even guessed four. I knew it wasn't four...for goodness' sakes! Then it hit me. How many people know? I'm gonna call some people. OK, I'm gonna call one person...maybe two.
I got on the phone and called my sister and asked about this house. "Let me see...one, two...five....six...seven? It's either six or seven." Hah! You don't know either! Then in the course of the rest of our conversation it came out that she was talking about six without the step into the house and seven if you count it. I think I have to give her this one. I'll let her be right this time. My mother also got a phone call. She didn't sign the release form so I cannot quote her here...but let me just say that she was not as accurate as my sister. Then I remembered that she had a second floor in her house. I had her guess. She underestimated by two! Then she exclaimed something to the effect of this is why her hip was hurting so much! So many darn steps. (Really mom this would be a lot easier if you would just sign the release form.
Over the summer we went spelunking. (Beginning to see why a conversation might steer toward steps?...or rubber chickens?...or how the banana got its name?...or anything really.) As we got ready to go on the tour (That's the only way this guy is crawling around in a cave) they announced that there were going to be 534 steps on the tour. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, or are just a major whiner...please do not go on this tour. Well that got us to thinking. Why would they count them? We also thought, "We gotta check." So there we are walking around underground going 333, 334, 335, ouch, 336...and so on. I bumped my head pretty good because I was looking down at a time when I should have been looking straight ahead. The bottom line, they were wrong! By a lot! There were about a hundred extra steps from their fact. We counted every rise or fall in elevation as a step. We started at the mouth and ended at the exit. We didn't cheat and we had three people coordinating their answers so we may have been wrong by a few...but we all certainly didn't over count by a hundred! I see no reason to lie in this situation. They could have just said, "There are a boat-load of steps! Including one that is really close to the ceiling so watch your head." That would have been fine. But to underestimate so egregiously...it's not fair. Just imagine if there was someone who thought they could make 534 and maybe even push it to 550 steps. What do you think would happen if they got to 579 and their legs just gave out?! I suppose we could have eaten them and saved ourselves, but that really wouldn't be a pleasant picture for the brochures.
And this all leads me to a challenge. There is no prize other than my undying esteem:
HOW MANY STEPS ARE IN YOUR HOUSE OR WORK? (The place you go most days.)
Really, I want to know. Is this a worldwide phenomenon that people know the correct number of stairs?
Message me your guesses. Tell everyone how you did. I am dying of curiosity.
Good Luck!
I met someone for the first time today and in the course of our conversation she said, "there were 22 steps up to our apartment in Iowa." For some reason this statement struck me as odd. Not so much that it would come up in a conversation, especially a conversation with me, but rather...Why would someone know how many steps there were leading up to their apartment? Do most people know this definitively how many steps are in their houses? It got me thinking...Do I know how many steps lead up to my house? Of course I do! Don't I? It's six. Definitely six. Or maybe it's five. Definitely five. Well I'm sure, without a doubt, that it is most likely five or six. How is it that some people just KNOW without a shadow of a doubt how many steps lead up to their apartments and I, having lived here most of my life since 1972, have to go out and count to make sure. I was right...by the way...it is five or six...unless you count the last one that leads into the front door. Then it's seven.
Being a junior scientist (2nd degree) I decided to try an experiment. I asked the other people in the house at the time just how many steps they thought were here. I got a wider range of answers. One person even guessed four. I knew it wasn't four...for goodness' sakes! Then it hit me. How many people know? I'm gonna call some people. OK, I'm gonna call one person...maybe two.
I got on the phone and called my sister and asked about this house. "Let me see...one, two...five....six...seven? It's either six or seven." Hah! You don't know either! Then in the course of the rest of our conversation it came out that she was talking about six without the step into the house and seven if you count it. I think I have to give her this one. I'll let her be right this time. My mother also got a phone call. She didn't sign the release form so I cannot quote her here...but let me just say that she was not as accurate as my sister. Then I remembered that she had a second floor in her house. I had her guess. She underestimated by two! Then she exclaimed something to the effect of this is why her hip was hurting so much! So many darn steps. (Really mom this would be a lot easier if you would just sign the release form.
Over the summer we went spelunking. (Beginning to see why a conversation might steer toward steps?...or rubber chickens?...or how the banana got its name?...or anything really.) As we got ready to go on the tour (That's the only way this guy is crawling around in a cave) they announced that there were going to be 534 steps on the tour. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, or are just a major whiner...please do not go on this tour. Well that got us to thinking. Why would they count them? We also thought, "We gotta check." So there we are walking around underground going 333, 334, 335, ouch, 336...and so on. I bumped my head pretty good because I was looking down at a time when I should have been looking straight ahead. The bottom line, they were wrong! By a lot! There were about a hundred extra steps from their fact. We counted every rise or fall in elevation as a step. We started at the mouth and ended at the exit. We didn't cheat and we had three people coordinating their answers so we may have been wrong by a few...but we all certainly didn't over count by a hundred! I see no reason to lie in this situation. They could have just said, "There are a boat-load of steps! Including one that is really close to the ceiling so watch your head." That would have been fine. But to underestimate so egregiously...it's not fair. Just imagine if there was someone who thought they could make 534 and maybe even push it to 550 steps. What do you think would happen if they got to 579 and their legs just gave out?! I suppose we could have eaten them and saved ourselves, but that really wouldn't be a pleasant picture for the brochures.
And this all leads me to a challenge. There is no prize other than my undying esteem:
HOW MANY STEPS ARE IN YOUR HOUSE OR WORK? (The place you go most days.)
Really, I want to know. Is this a worldwide phenomenon that people know the correct number of stairs?
Message me your guesses. Tell everyone how you did. I am dying of curiosity.
Good Luck!
I count the stairs everywhere. Literally everywhere. And the lane lines of the carpool lane.
ReplyDeleteKellianne, Ok...Now I'm Even More Curious.
DeleteWhat exactly are the lane lines? The diamond things? You can't be talking about the dashes...unless you are a speed counter!
DeleteI have lived in this house for 26 years and only today found out that we have 14 steps in the staircase…I have never thought about it before reading your blog. Now I will never forget it. If I now start counting the steps every time I use the stairs, I am coming after you Jeff. I know where you live... and I can jump those 5-7 stairs in a single bound!
ReplyDeleteCounting the number of steps is common in Asia....Feng Shui principle. The number of steps determine your fortune. Definitely, not my thang!
ReplyDeleteFrom what I know about Asia, I would guess that eight steps is the best. If they lived on 8th Avenue at address 8888 that would be even better.
ReplyDelete