Go Figure!

TWO WORDS, ONE MEANING

One, two, seventeen, twenty-three etc. These are all numbers. 

Another word for numbers is figures. Numbers and figures mean the same. 

ONE WORD, TWO MEANINGS

Another meaning for figure is shape. Sometimes, figure can mean a statue of a person, for example this one in Aotea Square in the CBD, or this one, also in the CBD. 

Figure has another meaning. Everyone has a figure. It means your body shape. Some people watch their figure. This means they’re careful about what they eat. If you’re lucky, as you get older, you can keep your figure. This means you don’t put on too much weight or lose too much weight.

Numbers and figures are things, so they’re nouns, but figure can also be a verb.

When figure is a verb, it means to use your head to find the answer to a problem, especially when the verb is to figure out. 

So that’s the background to today’s story. Now here’s the story.

A couple of days ago, I needed to cross a busy main road, so I stopped at a set of traffic lights and pressed the button. While I was waiting for the lights to change, I noticed this sticker on the pole, and it got me thinking.

When we have a problem, especially a big problem, we might think that it’s too hard, that we can’t solve it. We don’t know what to do or how to start tackling the problem.

In that case, the important thing is to take a breath and think. There’s usually an answer to any problem.

Looking again at that sticker, I think the first word is the most important: WE. Sometimes, you can’t solve a problem on your own, but that’s what other people are for. 

So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

As they say, two heads are better than one.