The myth of Sisyphus is more than a tale about a life on the rocks.
In Homer’s Iliad, Book VI, Sisyphus cheats Death by chaining it up so that no one could die. Sisyphus was not selflessly trying to save the world—only himself. Eventually Death was released from its bonds, and Sisyphus had to submit to its will. Sisyphus was further punished by Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, as the penalty for cheating Death.
Who can resist self-satisfied and self-deprecating comparisons with cunning old Sisyphus, who Hades, out of revenge for Sis’ litany of misdeeds, doomed to roll a large, heavy boulder up a sharp incline only to reach the top and have it roll down time after time, again and again.
The myth of Sisyphus (not to be confused with Albert Camus’ famous essay of the same name, which argued that life is “essentially meaningless”), has always been apt metaphor for frustration and futility—the struggle against the absurdity of life.
The myth has played out many times, in my own life and lives I’ve known. I’ve seen many creative people push their boulders up the mountain, struggling to reach the summit, lose their stamina, then watch helplessly as the burden rolls backward and then inevitably begin again. The term “Sisyphean” describes a task that is impossible to complete. The corollary is acknowledging that even with all the strength one can muster, one can only go so far. But sometimes further than expected.
I have been having a crisis of will lately, which is clearly visualized by this page from Mirko Ilic‘s as-yet-unpublished collection of comic strips, loosely grouped under the rubric 2020 A.C. (After COVID). For me, the image reveals many challenges, but now, specifically, the dreaded aging process, which I regret to say begins for many of us at age 65. This is the invisible line in the sand—as 18–20 is the marker between kid and adult—the age when the warranty expires and only willpower will power the body and mind to move upward and onward.
Everyone has “design” problems beyond their control. The body was poorly designed for high mileage. I have, for example, a very common but no less severe back problem, which, with the aid of surgery, medicine, therapy and willpower, can be kept under control … sometimes. This morning it was uncontrollable. My intention was to write a few advance Daily Hellers, storing nuts for the coming days. But back symptoms prohibited me from accomplishing that goal. Fortunately, Ilic’s image of Sisyphus helped relax the tension—if not entirely overcoming the chronic pain, at least coming to terms with it.
I postponed working on my posts for another time, and like the last panel of Ilic’s strip, reached an understanding. Life will continue to have ups and downs. I will rest for a while, then push forward once again. (And hey: You get to see a great drawing.)