My Date with Destiny on 8/08

Star Date: 08.03.2025

My first attempt at blogging began in late August of 2009 with a title that made my stories almost impossible to find: socalmulligan808.blogspot.com. Experts would say this was a big mistake—it defeats the purpose of writing if no one reads your work. But today, I want to explain why I did it that way.

If you're like me, you remember those days growing up when you'd do just enough to clean your room to pass inspection. That’s kind of how my blogging journey began. One day, God tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to start a blog. I didn’t even know what a blog was, so I looked it up. It involved sharing stories. That sounded terrifying. I didn’t want anyone to read my stories—so I chose a complicated blog name to keep them hidden.

Surprise! People found them anyway. Readers from faraway places discovered my stories—some even translated them with the help of Google Translate.

I chose the number 808 because it’s the area code for one of my favorite places in the world—Hawaii. “Blogspot” allowed me to set up the blog without paying monthly fees. Ironically, the number 808 ended up attracting readers who were searching for its meaning. I explained that I saw myself as the zero between two 8’s. And when you rotate those 8’s ninety degrees, they become infinity symbols—representing God. When you’re a zero surrounded by the Alpha and the Omega, you become somebody.

Since then, I’ve been learning how I fit into God’s plan for my life—one story at a time—for the last sixteen years.

Now, another significant 8/08 is on the horizon. This Friday marks National Pickleball Day, established in 2021 to coincide with the birthday of one of pickleball’s founders, Joel Pritchard. Our local group will be celebrating the occasion while pressing forward with fundraising to build four new outdoor courts for our community.

But this date holds even deeper personal meaning for me. On 8/08, I’ll reach my savings goal to adopt Lucy—my next vehicle, soon to be transformed into a vacation home on wheels.

I’ve learned that when you're surrounded by the Alpha and the Omega, all things are possible—even if you sometimes feel like a zero.

To my faithful readers: thank you for finding me, especially during those seasons when I felt lost. Your support has meant more than you know. I’ll keep writing until my final day on this planet.

Have a great day.

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“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
—Revelation 1:8