42

The meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
Jackie Robinson.
An asterisk in ASCII.
Molybdenum.

There are wiki pages for every integer up to 999. I knew the four items above before looking up 42. OK. Ok, I’ll admit it. I couldn’t remember what element was 42, but I did know one existed.

One of the many things about closing in on 50 is thinking about how substantially different access to information is now. I remember vividly using the encyclopedia collection that lived on the shelves against the wall of my childhood dining room. I’m fairly certain that Britannica did not have an entire page on every integer 1 to 999.

I am not only of those middle-aged individuals who years for a simpler time. I am someone who lives in wonder and fascination at how the world around us never stops changing.

A simpler time was not better. It was different. There were things about researching and having to journey to a library for information that were good for us and good for our culture. However, there are excellent things about the capacity to have an entire library of libraries available 24 hours a day at our fingertips.

Be amazed not sentimental. Learn something new everyday through conversation or just through some simple browsing on the web. Alternate so that you don’t become a hermit.

323 days to go.

#OTR50.