I fondly remember the classic French card game Mille Bornes. The premise was simple — you’re an automobile rally driver, trying to accumulate a thousand (mille) “milestones” (bornes). Interesting that word — milestone — literally a stone marking the miles on a road. There is wonderful solidity about this as an object. It seems a uniquely European affair, belonging on roads with history and permanence. We imbue the word with similar meaning in life too…
A milestone is more than an “event”, simply put. It’s an occurrence in life we see as significant and noteworthy. Apt descriptor, really. In a world overly inclined towards the impermanent, ephemeral, even simulated, we might be moved to mark our experience with this sort of deeper imprint — aiming for greater permanence and depth.
But that’s not our world; our world is change. So much of our “objective” world is envisioned as hurtling towards obsolescence. It’s either malleable or disposable. All very un-milestone, this. Which is fine, really. My desire to mark this milestone — my 500th post — through some act of greater permanency or solidity is thoroughly in keeping with my contrarian approach to, well, just about everything.
Alas, this is a virtual venue and there isn’t much to be done about making a concrete mark in such a transient medium. Or maybe there is…
So here’s the deal. I’m looking to make lasting links and connections through this ambient aether, and so if any of the last four hundred and ninety-nine posts have been interesting to you or struck you in some way then I have a modest proposal; If you haven’t made the effort to link to this blog yet then I’d ask you to do so. I’ll follow whatever links I run across, returning the favor.
And, well, I’ll keep marking the path, aiming for further milestones. Mille bornes, here I come…
December 8, 2010 at 10:23 am |
My preference is for your playful yet profound poetry. Like “Uncle Floyd’s Fabulous Fruit Fiasco” and “Ode to a Circuit Board”. Tasty stuff.
And congratulations, not just for being a 21st century renaissance man with an awesome wide angle mind, but for keeping this going in a world with the attention span of a fruit fly.
December 8, 2010 at 11:38 am |
Couferie!
December 9, 2010 at 9:46 am |
@ricki: Thanks! I question your objectivity about all of this, but maybe it’s time I write some more poetry. Alas, not feeling that poetic these days…Some of my readers are probably happy about that…
@amarilla: You mean coup fourré? French…It’s not just a language, it’s an adventure. ;) I like your interpretation, though.
December 10, 2010 at 9:59 am |
Ed note.: I think this blog has reached its logical conclusion. Strange, but this post seems like a solid, even concrete place to end rather than continue. There are so many other projects I need to direct my attention to, and the blog has become more of a distraction than anything else. Besides, it seems as if there is a real drop in interest and attention here too, and that suggests the whole thing is getting a little tired. If there is more blogging to be done in my world, then it will be in a different venue, with a new focus and new approach. It’s time to make some changes in life, and this is a good symbolic start to that. So, yeah, peace out…
December 10, 2010 at 3:34 pm |
Reinvention rocks!
December 11, 2010 at 9:46 pm |
Trauerspiel.
December 12, 2010 at 9:23 pm |
It has always been a pleasure to read your posts. Congratulations on the milestone, and all the best as you move on. Please let us know if you return to blogging in a different venue.
All the best,
Ja bientot…j’espere.
December 12, 2010 at 9:24 pm |
:-)…. a bientot
December 13, 2010 at 10:27 am |
@nineteenthcenturygirl: Ah, zee Germans…
@IR: Thanks! Indeed, I’ll let everybody know if and when I change venues. Was a good run here, though. Glad you appreciated it.
December 15, 2010 at 5:33 pm |
Aww come on – use a timer to restrict yourself, I like your blog.
But I can’t blame you. I liked mine too, and got tired of it as well.