By Daniel Rigney
The Athens Daily Cosmos reports today that mythic Greek boulder-roller Sisyphus plans to retire soon from his seemingly endless job of pushing an enormous rock up a hill only to have it roll back down again. According to one online encyclopedia, the gods who once condemned Sisyphus to “an eternity of useless efforts and unending frustration” are no longer around to enforce their edict, leaving Sisyphus free to end his employment on his own terms.
Ancient records indicate that the former Corinthian king has worked at his grueling job for at least 26 centuries. He confides that while he’s nearing the end of his rocky career, he believes he may have “just a few good pushes left in me.” He remains hopeful that he may yet reach the tipping point that sends the boulder over the top and down the other side, though he admits his optimism is fading.
Asked why he has endured his daily labors long after the gods have died or left Olympus, Sisyphus says, "If I don't do this useless and frustrating work, who will? Just a few more shoulders to the boulder and my work here is done."
Commenting on Sisyphus’s life work, French philosopher Albert Camus muses that despite the seeming absurdity of his task, “we must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Perhaps, Camus says, the seeming impossibility of the work is the very thing that makes it meaningful. “But if you ask me,” he adds, “the poor man is a bit of a dim bulb.”
Asked what he plans to do in retirement, Sisyphus says he lives in the eternal present and hasn't thought that far into the future.
Following his retirement, plans are reportedly in the works to replace Sisyphus with an automated boulder-roller.
Danagram
image: royalty-free from dreamtime.com
The Athens Daily Cosmos reports today that mythic Greek boulder-roller Sisyphus plans to retire soon from his seemingly endless job of pushing an enormous rock up a hill only to have it roll back down again. According to one online encyclopedia, the gods who once condemned Sisyphus to “an eternity of useless efforts and unending frustration” are no longer around to enforce their edict, leaving Sisyphus free to end his employment on his own terms.
Ancient records indicate that the former Corinthian king has worked at his grueling job for at least 26 centuries. He confides that while he’s nearing the end of his rocky career, he believes he may have “just a few good pushes left in me.” He remains hopeful that he may yet reach the tipping point that sends the boulder over the top and down the other side, though he admits his optimism is fading.
Asked why he has endured his daily labors long after the gods have died or left Olympus, Sisyphus says, "If I don't do this useless and frustrating work, who will? Just a few more shoulders to the boulder and my work here is done."
Commenting on Sisyphus’s life work, French philosopher Albert Camus muses that despite the seeming absurdity of his task, “we must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Perhaps, Camus says, the seeming impossibility of the work is the very thing that makes it meaningful. “But if you ask me,” he adds, “the poor man is a bit of a dim bulb.”
Asked what he plans to do in retirement, Sisyphus says he lives in the eternal present and hasn't thought that far into the future.
Following his retirement, plans are reportedly in the works to replace Sisyphus with an automated boulder-roller.
Danagram
image: royalty-free from dreamtime.com
No comments:
Post a Comment