It seems like I have heard this question over and over, "what the hell is 1218?". There may lie the biggest misconception about 1218, thinking that there is something more to 1218 than actually exists. But is there really?
People try to offer as many explanations as they can come up with to find some "hidden mystery of 1218". Usually more than I hear my own name, I am asked if 12-18 is my birthday. Of course unfortunately for me and the person asking the question, it is not my birthday. Well, is that your address? Apartment number? Favorite number? Phone number? Zip code? (that person wasn’t too smart) This one I really liked, so what police department do you work for? I know what 1218 is…..your police union numbers! At that point, my response was, "you got it!". Is it the fraternity you are in? And sometimes its not always friendly discourse. Hey buddy, those your prison numbers or something? What can you say to that but, "ahhh….no".
There have been times when I have actually made up excuses in order to avoid potential fights. There is the famous story at Annie’s where several of us who were wearing the green 1218 shirts were forced to us the excuse that we were all members of a band. Well, what kind of band? An Irish Heavy Metal Band of course. Surprisingly that excuse did work for a while, until several more people wearing the green 1218 shirts showed up. A quick exit soon followed.
So can this be true that even in trying to explain 1218, nothing significant is revealed? Again, I do my best to educate everyone on 1218. Knowing what we all know, 1218 didn’t just happen overnight. There can be no way I could pinpoint my first 1218 experience. However this absurd 1218 phenomenon first caught my attention in the Fall of 1995. Even as the person who has opened so many eyes to 1218, I am unable to completely give an explanation that can satisfy everyone. I think that as we become more aware of 1218 we are beginning to ascertain a better understanding of 1218.
There are some people who have begun to devlop a better understanding than others. Certainly the 1218 website has helped in the 1218 education process. Also there now exists a 1218 Theorem. I am not sure where the theorem fits into the bigger picture of 1218, but like so many things with 1218 it may be hard to understand at first. The important thing to realize here is that it has taken close to five (5) full years for some of these major breakthroughs to develop. With every new occurrence of a 1218 experience or a 1218 story, more people begin to understand 1218.
Perhaps with the proper research, funding, and facilities we will some day be able to pin down "what the hell is 1218". Until that day finally comes, I am asking everyone to accept 1218 as fact. I learned a long time ago, there is nothing you can do to avoid 1218. So tomorrow afternoon when someone asks you what time it is near lunch time, and you look at your watch and it is 12:18, all you can do is put both hands up in the air and say, "1218".