This week, I passed a major milestone. No, not the one you are thinking of. I logged my 250th Did Not Find log!
A lot of people hate logging DNFs. Me? I don't mind it. It doesn't reflect poorly on me - I've found 3,000, so not finding 250 isn't a bad ratio. It's not like there's a cacher out there who has no DNFs. I mean, even if they didn't log it, they are still bound to have that one elusive cache that wasn't to be found. The nice thing about geocaching is that no one ever has to know about your DNFs, but even that one cacher knows - deep in their heart - that they have a DNF.
Also, it's not like all DNFs are the fault of the finder. Sometimes caches get muggled. Sometimes caches float or roll away. Sometimes, they fall apart. A DNF doesn't mean that you didn't have the ability to find it; it simply means that it was not found after a search.
So I say, Hey! Celebrate those DNFs! Be proud of those DNFs. I am, and that's why I am proudly proclaiming my DNF milestone with this cache!
And to help you avoid a DNF, I am making this one a LARGE container. If you can't find this one, please log the DNF. If you can't find this one, it's not that you are a bad cacher; it's most likely the container has been muggled. Or floated away. Or fallen apart. Or been abducted by aliens. Or, well, you know the story.
So here's to all of us to get out there and occasionally stumble! Here's to all of us who log those DNFs! And here's to all of us who love caching - whether it's the sweet smell of victory with the "Found it" or the begrudging acceptance of the occasional DNF.