That Rock-up-the-Hill Guy

I woke up last night thinking about Sisyphus--that guy perpetually doomed to shoving a huge rock up a hill, only to have it roll back down again just before he reaches the top.

Nice fate.

What did he do to deserve that? And who condemned him?

He was the King of Corinth--and indeed had been its founder. And a gnarly knave. A liar, deceiver. (He even tricked Hades once--the guy, not the place.)

But it all caught up with him, and Zeus condemned him to this eternal struggle. (Here's a link to a pretty good summary of the story.)

Anyway, I lay in bed last night thinking about that story. I'd been feeling sorry for myself, having to stay somewhat cooped up for ... weeks? months?

But it didn't take much thought for me to realize that, compared with other folks, I've got it pretty damn easy. A house. A loving companion. A zillion books I've never gotten around to reading. Friends who check up on me. And on and on.

And so I fell back asleep, resolving to write today about Sisyphus and his Sisyphean labors.

But then I snapped awake about 5:30, remembered my blog topic--but could not for the life of me remember Sisyphus' name!

I, of course, could have fired up my phone and checked. But I was stubborn! I would find that damn name in my head!

About a half-hour later, I did.

I'd also been thinking about how ubiquitous that image of Sisyphus is--especially in cartoons and comic strips. Whenever I see one, which is pretty often, I post it. Below is a recent one that appeared the week of Presidents Day (I think), and if you Google "Sisyphus," you'll find a gazillion more.

Sisyphus remains one of the cultural figures that cartoonists can safely employ. (You want to entertain your audience, not puzzle them!) You know the others: Frankenstein's creature, Dracula, Noah and the ark, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Medusa (she with snakes for hair), King Arthur, Hamlet-with-the-skull-of-Yorick, Romeo and Juliet (in a Bugs Bunny cartoon is a version of the story), Rapunzel, Hansel & Gretel, Sherlock Holmes, Little Red Riding Hood, and on and on.

In that story of Sisyphus we all can see our own daily efforts, can't we? We struggle all day--then start over the next day.

Which is what all of us are doing right now--whatever our situation. As I've indicated above, many, many people are having profound battles now--loss of business, of job, of health, of the enduring stability that so many of us had felt was our American birthright.

And all we can do in the morning is find our rock, place our hands on it, brace ourselves. And push!