The “millennium” was a big deal for millions—maybe even for billions—who found something significant in the year 2000. What would happen? Could it be the year the world ended? And what about all those projected computer crashes of Y2K? End of the World! Stock up on toilet paper. The late Prince told us to “party like it’s 1999.”
Reaching age 40 seems to be a big deal for millions, maybe even for billions. Being married 50 years is also something noteworthy for many. Why? What’s so significant about any number that ends in a zero? What was so significant about 2000? Remember, the count of years is based on Dionysius Exiguus’ determination of Christ’s year of birth. Di is the guy who replaced the Roman numbering of years. He might have made a mistake by four years or so. That would make this year 2022. But does that make any real difference?
So, this is my 1,000th little essay on this site. Significant? Maybe for me, but not really. Just another posting, just as the day before someone turns 40 is as significant as the actual birthday or the day after. Significance is a personal matter. Choose to make each day significant, and you will think 39 years 264 days is worth celebrating as much as exactly 40 years.
For me, reaching 1,000 essays is hardly much of an achievement in that during the time of their appearances, they were merely other matters to which I attended. And that’s the way it is with all of us in all our so-called significant moments. We don’t have to be defined by a single episode or a single moment. There’s no vacuum in our lives that is punctuated by “something.” There’s always something in a continuum of thought and activity. We choose to recognize certain of those “somethings” as significant, but on what grounds? The year 2000, for example, ends an artificial construct, our reckoning of time from a moment considered to be special for the West, for Christianity, and for political entities that formed under the aegis of that system. Our math is a base 10 system, so the zero became significant, a place to end and a place to start anew.
Writing 1,000 little essays on sundry topics has been fun, and I will continue to write other such essays. It’s my way of exploring, and I’m happy that others have thought to explore with me. The goal in my exploring is to open a path for your path-making, not to lead you to any specific temple of knowledge lost like a pyramid in Mayan or Aztec lands. Sure, I might stumble through some thicket to see the steps laid long ago, but you can explore the jungle adjacent to the path I cut. I might find an isolated temple. You might find an entire city.
One thousand? Not too significant. Think about your current year. The Romans began counting from the founding of their city. The Soviets tried to make 1917 the year one. Everyone remembers Rosemary’s baby, born, as they say in the film, in Year One. Why shouldn’t we start the counting with Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago, or with the universe’s origin 13.8 billion years ago? Why not start our counting with the year of your birth? And why not judge any specific essay of mine as being one that led you to your own significant insights whereas many of the 1,000 I wrote seemed, at least to you, rather silly and inconsequential ramblings.
Till our minds meet again in the next posting…
Reaching age 40 seems to be a big deal for millions, maybe even for billions. Being married 50 years is also something noteworthy for many. Why? What’s so significant about any number that ends in a zero? What was so significant about 2000? Remember, the count of years is based on Dionysius Exiguus’ determination of Christ’s year of birth. Di is the guy who replaced the Roman numbering of years. He might have made a mistake by four years or so. That would make this year 2022. But does that make any real difference?
So, this is my 1,000th little essay on this site. Significant? Maybe for me, but not really. Just another posting, just as the day before someone turns 40 is as significant as the actual birthday or the day after. Significance is a personal matter. Choose to make each day significant, and you will think 39 years 264 days is worth celebrating as much as exactly 40 years.
For me, reaching 1,000 essays is hardly much of an achievement in that during the time of their appearances, they were merely other matters to which I attended. And that’s the way it is with all of us in all our so-called significant moments. We don’t have to be defined by a single episode or a single moment. There’s no vacuum in our lives that is punctuated by “something.” There’s always something in a continuum of thought and activity. We choose to recognize certain of those “somethings” as significant, but on what grounds? The year 2000, for example, ends an artificial construct, our reckoning of time from a moment considered to be special for the West, for Christianity, and for political entities that formed under the aegis of that system. Our math is a base 10 system, so the zero became significant, a place to end and a place to start anew.
Writing 1,000 little essays on sundry topics has been fun, and I will continue to write other such essays. It’s my way of exploring, and I’m happy that others have thought to explore with me. The goal in my exploring is to open a path for your path-making, not to lead you to any specific temple of knowledge lost like a pyramid in Mayan or Aztec lands. Sure, I might stumble through some thicket to see the steps laid long ago, but you can explore the jungle adjacent to the path I cut. I might find an isolated temple. You might find an entire city.
One thousand? Not too significant. Think about your current year. The Romans began counting from the founding of their city. The Soviets tried to make 1917 the year one. Everyone remembers Rosemary’s baby, born, as they say in the film, in Year One. Why shouldn’t we start the counting with Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago, or with the universe’s origin 13.8 billion years ago? Why not start our counting with the year of your birth? And why not judge any specific essay of mine as being one that led you to your own significant insights whereas many of the 1,000 I wrote seemed, at least to you, rather silly and inconsequential ramblings.
Till our minds meet again in the next posting…
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