Dear Editor:

I, like many of Americans watched with great interest on the Super Bowl play offs and the eventual outcome of a champion. However I was intrigued by our lack of knowledge of the numerical designations by number of championship games. "Roman Numbers" I could not help how many folks regardless of age understand the rules for the numbering system. Most folks I can assure you if you placed three varying years of shirts on a table, very few could tell you what years they represent. I was taught the numbering system in Catholic school, but like most things from my early childhood, (I forget. It's the gray hair.) Never the less this numbering system is in our lives. I will not go into the rules now but think of the sequence of limited letters of x's, c's etc. that make up the system. And the announcement not in x's but our native tongue. That's the only way we know the sequence of the game was played.I started to think of the plethora of instances this system plays a role in our lives. Today most of, if not all of the clocks are digital. That is the only way a youngster can tell you what time it is. However some time pieces still used the 1 through 12. I wonder if that is why everyone is late for work? To add to the confusion we have half past and quarter of, that young folks cannot even comprehend. Now if you recall years ago the numbering system of clocks were in Roman Numbers. Look at some of the old time pieces from your grandfather's pocket watch or the clock in the hall. Give a grammar school child this pocket watch and ask what time it is. The result is utter bewilderment.I also thought about Moses coming down from the mountain wit the 10 (x) commandments on two tablets. Written not in written sentences, not in Hebrew, but in Yup Roman numbers. We all know the effect that Rome played in the role of the world. Even God used them when he gave the rules to Moses. If you attend church service in a Roman Catholic church, the Stations of the Cross are written in Roman numbers but, pronounce in our native tongue. We see the system used on court houses to designate the year it was built. This system is used more often than we can imagine. Can you imagine if the speed limit was written in Roman numbers. Consider this; we all know the difficulty we have in going from the English measuring system to metric. Some areas are a success, like the size of a soda bottle.Can you imagine if we tried to convert to the Roman Numerical system?I suggest the next time you go to Lehighton, look at the clock in the Zion UCC Church (Look at the photo on their web site and tell us what time it is?) or county bell tower in Jim Thorpe. You might see Roman numerals giving you the time.Well enough said, there is just soooo much for me to wrap my head around.From the pen ofKen Treger, Lehighton