OT: End of the Line
Dolphinius
During its last daylight I will take a journey
and walk alone
by a great river
to remind myself
for a moment
that the measurement
of time is
a human construct.
Then as the night ages
I will see the year out
alone
(though fortunately not as
alone as I would be if I were with other
people).
As every year, at the appointed time
I will look out of my window listening
to the sound of Big Ben, watching
the fireworks for miles around, and shedding
some tears for what has been
and for what is yet to come.
It is time. Quickly,
What doeth we now know?
Help me find
a bunch of keys to fit these locks
of doors that have never been opened.
Tell me, who shall be the witnesses of the next decade?
Dolphinius
(Male, mid-thirties, UK, self-diagnosed AS)
Geoff
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR
AND BAH HUMBUG TO YOU ALL !
:)
Stephen Wilson
"Dolphinius" <dolph...@fsmail.net> wrote in message
news:1770140c-fdf3-487f...@f5g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> The decade is in its death throes.
I suppose so. Although there is a school of thought that suggests the new
decade doesn't actually begin for another year (cos there was never a year 0
or sommat...)
> During its last daylight I will take a journey
> and walk alone
> by a great river
> to remind myself
> for a moment
> that the measurement
> of time is
> a human construct.
I'm too late. Darkness has already fallen. But I guess I didn't need to take
a walk - I already know this!
> Then as the night ages
> I will see the year out
> alone
> (though fortunately not as
> alone as I would be if I were with other
> people).
Yeah. I probably won't be alone, in that I will be with a few people. Yet
still, I'll be alone.
> As every year, at the appointed time
> I will look out of my window listening
> to the sound of Big Ben, watching
> the fireworks for miles around, and shedding
> some tears for what has been
> and for what is yet to come.
I'm not within earshot of Big Ben. Or any other clocks of significance. I
expect someone will let off a firework, somewhere. Some things I'm sad
about. Not sure they'll cause me to shed tears though.
> It is time. Quickly,
> What doeth we now know?
> Help me find
> a bunch of keys to fit these locks
> of doors that have never been opened.
> Tell me, who shall be the witnesses of the next decade?
With any luck, you, me and the rest of the group! Or at least, we'll witness
our little corner of it.
Anyway, have a good new year, and all the best for 2010. And beyond!
Dolphinius
> Dolphinius <dolphin...@fsmail.net> considered Wed, 30 Dec 2009
> 13:11:57 -0800 (PST) the perfect time to write:
>
> >The decade is in its death throes.
>
I agree with you, but we are in a minority so I have yielded to the
majority view. If the measurement of time is a human construct then
everything is arbitrary anyway.
Stephen Horne
<phil(at)lee-family(dot)me(dot)uk> wrote:
>Dolphinius <dolph...@fsmail.net> considered Wed, 30 Dec 2009
>13:11:57 -0800 (PST) the perfect time to write:
>
>>The decade is in its death throes.
>
>Point of pedantry - there's a whole year left in this decade.
Personally, I can't wait for 23 minutes past 7PM on Feb 16th. Thats
not just the end of a decade or century or millenium - it's the last
day of a million-year period! Yes, the million-year span that started
precisely a million years before 23 minutes past 7PM on Feb 16th will
end at exactly 23 minutes past 7PM on Feb 16th!!!
The point being - a decade is ten years. Doesn't matter what the end
date is - it's always the end of a decade, every single day, and every
single second of every single day, if you're flexible about which
decade you're talking about.
If people want to focus on a digit rolling back to zero, that's as
valid as anything in what is, after all, a completely arbitrary and
meaningless excuse to throw a party. It's certainly at least as valid
as my 23 minutes past 7PM on Feb 16th, anyway ;-)