Once upon a time in a land not far from here, there lived a nation of people. By and large, they were good people, decent people, industrious and hardworking people. They lived commendable and often praiseworthy lives, dedicating themselves to such endeavors as caring for home and family, building better communities and schools, and helping one another in a variety of ways.

These were people you and I would be delighted to have as neighbors. They had only one quirk, one idiosyncrasy: They were obsessed with numbers. Absolutely consumed by them.

Numbers, numbers, everywhere you looked, there were numbers! Every year was known by its number. Every day was broken down into numbered parts and people wore jewelry to tell them what number it was: 2:45 in the morning or 7:15 in the evening. Bus…