Old/New World Discourse: The last one hundred posts

In Ecclesiastics, i.e. Kohelet, it is written that there is a season for everything. It is now the season for me to look back at my second hundred "Old/New World Discourse" posts since it is also the season for me to say "shalom" to this blog.

When I write once more for The Jerusalem Post, it will not be in the capacity of an academic commenting on Israeli society, but as one half of an intergenerational dialogue on Israeli life. Specifically, Missy Oldest, a budding writer with a few modest publications to her name, and enough charif [spice] to get by on the streets of Jerusalem, and I, in turn, will write about topics pertinent to living on this island of kedushah. Our shared blog will be called "She Said: She Said."

In the interim, I invite you to join me in reviewing public events and personal goings-on that were reflected upon in the final one hundred "Old/New World Discourse" entries. It's interesting, and, perhaps, informative to note, that whereas this blog's first one hundred were very literary in style, were often constituted by many computer-generated pages, i.e. were somewhat lengthy, and were produced in less than a year, this blog's second hundred entries were shorter, sometimes more mainstream in tone, in type and in word and took four additional months to produce. I've come to understand that blogs are not newspaper columns (of the kind I used to write in the New World) and that readers want flash rather than analysis.

Meanwhile, this past year has been dynamic. There have been health crises (see: Smachot & Hagim, Ideal vs. Real, Parts I, II and III, Sep. 09, 11, and 16, 2007; and Of Broken Noses and Appreciating Israeli Medical Care, Dec. 14, 2008), changes in employment status (see: Recalibration, Jan. 20, 2008; To be a Writer, Parts I and II, Apr. 07 and 09, 2008; and Cabbages, Kings, and Job Counselors, May 15, 2008 ), and an addition to the family (see: Something Furry, Dec. 04, 2007; and Murphy's Law, Mar. 06, 2008), which later became a subtraction (see: No More Murphy, Apr. 06, 2008).

Concurrently, some friends suffered more significant losses (see: The Levayah, Nov. 14, 2007), terror struck repeatedly (see: Something Meaningful in the Violence Here, Oct. 15, 2007;  Yoman of a Mad Housewife, Mar. 07, 2008; Brutality in the City, Jul. 02, 2008; and Terrified, Jul. 27, 2008;), and our government made some stupid choices (see: The Sovereign State of New Jersey, Another 'Modest Proposal,'  Feb. 20, 2008; Apple-scented Toilet Paper: Jerusalem's String Bridge, Feb. 28, 2008; and Dissatisfaction with Synthetics, Nov. 10, 2008).

Fortunately, my family and I were able to celebrate holidays (see: Succot 5768, Oct. 02 and 10, 2007; Festival of Lights, Dec. 09, 2007; Post Purim, Mar. 27, 2008; Pesach Cleaning 5768, Apr. 14, 2008; and Elul is for Sifting, Parts I, II, III and IV, Sep. 14, 21, 25, and 28; ), to join our friends in celebrating Sma'achot (see: Sweet Seudah Bar Mitzvah, Mar. 28, 2008; The Challot and the Kallot, May 05, 2008; and Royalty, Jun. 05, 2008;), and to rejoice over loved ones' aliyot (see: Welcome Home, Aug. 22, 2007; and A Bat Bayit's Aliyah, Parts I and II, Jan. 06 and 13, 2008) .

There was even time to rejoice: in my family (see: Love and the Everlasting Bridge to Shared Referents, Nov. 19, 2007; Under the Hood, Jan. 30, 2008;  Six Pillows and a Mommy, Jun. 29, 208; Missing my Girls, Aug. 10, 2008; Celebrating my Boys, Aug. 17, 2008; and Appreciating Husbands who Travel to India, Dec. 07, 2008), in the Klal (see: Connecting the Dots, Feb. 04, 2008; The Israelis, Feb. 06, 2008; The Russians, Feb. 14, 2008; Persian and Bucharian Hospitality, Jul. 13, 2008; Not so Exotic After All, Jul. 30, 2008; My Friend's Shuk: More than Apples or Falafel, Sep. 02, 2008; and Among the Mothers' Generation, Oct. 12, 2008), and in the Blessings concomitant to living in the Holy Land (see: Yerushalmi Dazed, Dec. 18, 2007; I Will not Forget, O Jerusalem! Mar. 17, 2008; 60th Birthday Thoughts: Bits and Pieces, May 11, 2008; Laws, Rules, and Shmittah, Jul. 20, 2008; and A Return to the Kotel, Oct. 06, 2008).

The second hundred entries have been full of ups and downs, challenges and victories. Yet, en totale, writing "Old/New World Discourse" has made for a good run.