Milestones are constructed to provide reference points along the road. This can be used to reassure travelers that the proper path is being followed, and to indicate either distance travelled or the remaining distance to a destination. (Wikipedia)

When we were kids riding in the family car, my dad would always announce an upcoming rollover in the car mileage. Turning over to the next thousand miles was a big deal and we all leaned over the front seat to watch the numbers change from many 9’s to many 0’s, then gave a big cheer!

I relived that experience this week on WordPress, my vehicle for communicating and sharing.  I try not to obsess about stats but rather use them “as a reference point along the road” and to reassure myself that “the proper path is being followed.”

I’ve been blogging for a little over ten months, once a week, with a rare mid-week post. This blog has helped me enormously in finding a voice and creating a welcome challenge to express myself and share my ideas, images, and music. Little did I anticipate how many wonderful people I would meet and learn from along the way. So, when I saw my 100th Follower (thank you, Historic Virginia Plantation) and my 10,000th View appear on the same day, and my 500th Like a few days earlier, it felt like a milestone reached and I gave a little cheer when the numbers rolled over. For many of you, I am sure these are small numbers (and it is probably very impolite to make them public!) but to me, they represent a valuable contact with others that I wouldn’t have had if I had never begun to blog. And so, I want to express my deep thanks to those who read and follow and visit and comment – you are never taken for granted! Blogging continues to be a pleasure rather than an obligation and I hope that it remains that way.

Milestone: An important event, as in a person’s career, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point. (The Free Dictionary)

Here’s a link to my very first post on August 28, 2011, The Sound of the August Garden. Enjoy!

Thanks to Zorba the Greek for the use through Creative Commons of this great image of an ancient stone milestone in the UK.