NUMBERS AND MEANINGS

By Miles Patrick Yohnke

© 2023 All Rights Reserved.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards." - Steve Jobs

Miles Patrick Yohnke, age 60. Photo by Indigo Brodie. Design by Henry Buitrago.

One of the benefits of growing older is being able to look over your shoulder at your past.

Throughout much of my life I've come across people who've spoken about the significance of numbers and what it means to them. They exude such joy and gratitude when explaining the symbolism and synchronicity of numbers. I'd listen but let's just say I wasn't much of a 'believer.'

This composition isn't about me becoming a believer or about making you a believer or really about numbers and their meaning. That said, I have noticed over the years a certain number kept reappearing in my life, and the events surrounding it would alter the course of my life.

My goal with this article is to encourage you to look within, and in doing so, hopefully inspire you to view your world in a different light.

Perhaps you've had a long life like mine, or maybe you're in the early stages of life.

Let's start 38 years ago. It was Tuesday, April 23, 1985.

Miles Patrick Yohnke in 2001. Photo: Shaun Salen

I was 21 and buying my very first BMW. The following week would mark three years that I'd been dating the person I thought would become my wife and mother to my children. My new BMW was going to be our family car. Tuesday, April 23, 1985, felt, in a way, like the start of my life.

On Tuesday, May 14, 1985, my girlfriend left me for another man and was married the following summer. I was completely devastated and remained that way throughout much of that decade.

On Sunday, Dec. 3, 1988, singer, songwriter John Hiatt performed at our historic Broadway Theatre here in Saskatoon, and I had front row seats. When he came to the song "Have A Little Faith in Me" he was brutally honest, taking complete ownership of his actions. John Hiatt spoke of his cocaine and vodka addiction. He had quit both three years earlier. "Have A Little Faith in Me" was the first song written by Hiatt following his sobriety from drugs and alcohol, which had contributed to the breakdown of his marriage and being released by his former record labels.

Loretta and Miles, 1984

Hiatt's original attempt at recording the song took place at a friend's studio and included a larger instrumental accompaniment. However, the recording was plagued by technical issues. The morning after he recorded the song, Hiatt was informed that his estranged wife, film sound editor, Isabella Wood, had committed suicide.

When John Hiatt performed "Have A Little Faith in Me" on that first Sunday of December 1988, in the Broadway Theatre, I listened to his love letter to Isabella Wood. I wept as he performed it. Isabella Wood never heard her song. She hung herself.

This performance and event would have a profound impact upon me, but I wouldn't know the full extent until decades later.

In September of 1989, the most beautiful woman I'd ever encountered asked me out. Louise and I dated for about a year. She helped show me my outer self. I then had to work on my inner self. Louise was a significant figure in the direction and development of my life. We celebrated her birthday together, but it would take me decades to realize the importance of the date she was born.

Apartment 23 photograph by Marcel Toews, 2022

On August 1, 1992, I moved into an apartment. I didn't foresee myself living in it for long, perhaps a few years. I've now lived in it happily for over thirty years. It's apartment number '23.'

As I look back, the number 23 has played a significant role in my life. I ended up owning that BMW for 23 years. Louise was born on January 23, and John Hiatt's estranged wife, Isabella Wood hung herself on the same Tuesday, April 23, 1985, that I bought my BMW.

Upon reflection of my life, what I perceived to be dark periods of my life were, in reality, a form of light. I came to realize that there is no darkness, just various shades of light. Everything happens for a reason, and we all are following His plan.

If you are in a perceived dark period, trust that it will pass, and when you look back with Him in your heart, you'll come to realize there was a reason for it. He is leading you to where you need to be and to the people you need in your life. He guided me to my light source. Trust in Him to guide you to yours.

The material below bears significance to this article and the number 23. It expands upon what I've written about and the development of myself. My hope in sharing these articles with you is that they'll serve as a resource in the development of your own self. Perhaps you'll look back on your own life and connect the dots. As Steve Jobs said: "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards."

Oh, and by the way, it is the year '23.'

Have A Little Faith in Me

The Spirit of Denny Dumas

Apartment 23

The Kids Are Alright

Unlocking Ourselves

R.I.P. (Rest in Peace) Isabella Wood