The Philosophers Stone

This round rock was given to me as a wedding present by a long time resident of Central Australia.  At the time he described it as The Philosophers Stone.  This was partly because I had spent some years studying linguistic philosophy; and partly because he wished the stone might be a source of wisdom to help me navigate the the unknown seas ahead.  It didn't work.

For a long time the stone resided in a small trunk along with my other treasures.  It stayed in the trunk because its shape was not conducive to use - it rolled around and would not sit still.  After my marriage ended I thought it a shame not to have the rock on display and so decided to mount it on the base of broken soccer trophy which had belonged to my son.

Now the rock serves as a paper weight.  In high summer, despite having an air conditioned office, I still find a fan a very useful addition.  Keeping paper on the desk when the fan is blowing is now the role of my round rock, apart from its secondary role as a decoy for children who think it is a meteroite. 

I am unsure of its geological provenance.  I think I have determined that it is clastic, although I don't know why it is not conglomerate, as it is composed of smaller bits of gravel bound together by a finer substance.  Sometime I'll do some more geological research; but in the meantime I think I'll just take a philosophical approach to nature of this stone.

Comments

[Jude]

I like it - round and solid and I imagine beneficial according to feng shui. BTW, if you're still debating, I think the ' needs to go before the s.

[Tjilpi]

My COED gives both Philosopher's Stone and Philosophers' Stone; but does not give Philosophers Stone. So, being an antiapostropherian, I went with the latter!!

[Jude]

Well, being an antidisestablishmentarian, I am arguing that there ought to be one - and I'm plumping for the 's.

[pablo]

You could have found that beauty at a place I call Roundrock. I have hundreds of 'em. (Caution: apostrophe in use!)

[elsewhere]

I guess it depends on how many philosophers have been acquainted with the above stone!

So are we going to see 'Tjilpi and the Philosopher's Stone' become a new hit seller?

'The Philosopher's Stone' could be a blog title!

[Tjilpi]

I am happy to use an apostrophe in

The Philosopher's Stoned

as a blog title!

[Jude]

I love it!

[william]

the philosifers stone was created in the middle of the first cetury by a man named nicholas Flamel. Nicholas flamel was an alchemist, a person who can use spiritual energy and chemiemistry to do marvelous things.The idea was that an alchemist could use the stone to transmute a a mineral substance into gold. When Nicholas flamel saw the greed it brought to the world of alchemy he decided to destroy it but, in his desperate attpemt for what ever reason he decided to hide it and while doing so he dissapeared.I know were he went and were he hid the stone but the stone was returned to earth somewere and untill now I had no Idea were it was! If you want to know more Email me i'm williamc@rock.com.

[bo]

ur an idiot. i dont believe u. if u ever watched fullmetal alchemist u would know that it gets destroyed after u use it!

[Jesse]

Bo is a retard and thinks that cartoons are factual.