Milestones vs Millstones
There's a sign on the road halfway between Charlottetown and Mount Stewart in PEI that bears the description "Ten Mile House". Someone once told me that in the days of horse-drawn sleighs or carriages, folks would break their long journey at that point and refresh themselves (with food, drink, sleep?) before travelling on the rest of the way. In this age of motorized machines, as we travel from point a to point b and back again in barely a blink of the eye, the reason for the milestone seems less obvious... but still, there it is.
There are landmarks in our lives that we anticipate eagerly and others we face with dread, and would prefer to just drive on by without stopping. Which attitude we choose depends on a lot of factors, some of which are completely arbitrary and personal. Having a big birthday? Exciting when you're 18, maybe not so much when you turn 50... but pretty spectacular when you turn 80 or 100! Celebrating an important wedding or work anniversary? Is it a big deal because you're still so happy to see each other every day... or because you managed to stick it out so long?
Which brings me to my question of the day: what—other than the substitution of a consonant for a vowel—is the difference between a "milestone" and a "millstone"?
In my view, a milestone is a landmark on a particular journey, possibly a journey that has already been made by others before us; we travel towards it, anticipate it, notice it and celebrate it as we move on past it. In most cases, it marks progress or completion of one step in a series, rather than rewarding a particular achievement (although the marathon runners or mountain climbers out there may disagree, and choose to see each marker on the way to the finish line or the summit with a different perspective.)
A millstone, on the other hand, is a heavy burden we hang around our own necks and drag along with us on ALL of our travels; we complain about it, or try to ignore it despite the weight it places on our shoulders. It can be constructed of fear, envy, anxiety, discouragement, regret; or sometimes, it is just a honking big chip on our shoulders. Frankly, I suggest we find a way to chisel it off, and either put it back to productive use elsewhere (eg. grinding grain to make our bread)... or just abandon it somewhere by the side of the road, as we make our merry way—with light hearts and lighter steps—towards the next signpost on our journey.