A metamorphoses for myself.

     For my last blog I am going to tell you about about my own personal metamorphoses. It all started back on the first week of school. I came into this semester taking calculus two, physics with calculus, U.S. seminar, and finally mythology. I had to choose mythology to fill in my requirement for one of my core classes. I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into.
     I will give you a quick background on myself. I am an engineering major who has always thrived in math and science classes. I have struggled in English and a little bit in reading. I was hoping that I could take this class and pass with little effort. Boy oh boy was I wrong. I was told that I have to read this book that is more than one thousand pages and worse yet, I could barely understand the verse it is written in.(I still have to read some of Ovid's stories twice just to know who is in the story). I was so intimidated by the books, students, and this genius professor, who seemed to know everything about everything. To be perfectly honest, I would have dropped the class if it was possible without losing my scholarship.
     Now at the end of the semester I can truthfully say that I am glad that I was forced to finish this class. I enjoyed all of the discussion that we had in class. Dr. Sexson made mythology fun and more importantly relevant for me. This was a story that could be in the book The Metamorphoses of Ovid. I have had an amazing metamorphoses. I would like to thank everyone in class for this experience. I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Sexson. He was the one who brought it together, the students and the literature. Thanks again to everyone for a great class experience.

This is my term paper that I did on Henderson the Rain King.

Henderson the Rain King

            I chose to do my term paper on Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow. The one part that fascinated me throughout the entire book was the voice inside his heart that kept telling him "I want, I want..." While reading the book I thought that this voice was a part of his selfish subconscious. I felt that no matter what Henderson did he would not satisfy this thirst for  greed. After thinking it over and hearing what other students had to say I eventually came to a very different conclusion about the voice. At first I had thought that the voice was telling him that it wants a material object; money, land, or other possessions. Then after careful consideration I believe that the voice was expressing a want to help. Instead of saying "I want possessions," it was trying to say "I want to help." This is what I will try to demonstrate in my paper.

            Very early in the book we find out that Henderson is a very wealthy man. He can be a hard worker when he wants to be but he seldom has motivation to do much of anything. We are told Henderson his worth three million dollars, which by rough estimation, is around twenty two million dollars in today's world.(www.measuringworth.com) To put this in prospective the president of the United States, Barrack Obama, is currently worth ten million dollars. While professional football coach of the Washington Redskins, Mike Shannahan, has a net worth of twenty five million dollars.(www.celebritynetworth.com) It is hard for most people who are not this wealthy to understand how somebody who is wealthy can also be selfish. This is how I felt at first. Not only can this man not find peace of mind, he becomes so distraught that he leaves his family and goes to Africa. When talking to his friend Charlie, he is asked " Where do you want to go?" Henderson replies "All I know is that this isn't the place for me." (Rain King p. 43) Henderson is middle aged and has plenty of money and he has travelled half way across the world to try and heal himself of his distressed state of mind.

            The first people that he meets are the Arnewi. They have a problem with their water source. When Henderson first hears of the Arnewi's problem, he becomes very excited. He thinks that he can use his knowledge to help save the Arnewi's water supply. This is the first time we can see that Henderson truly wants to help this tribe. What I believe tells you more about his good will for this tribe is his reaction when he fails. After blowing up the dam that holds the Arnewi's water, Henderson is devastated. He had come all the way from America and his only wish was to do one good dead and he puts the Arnewi people into a drought. After committing this act Henderson cannot stand to be around the tribe any longer.

            He embarks on a new journey to try and do something right. He and his guide, Romilayu, travel deep into the African jungle to find the Warri people. He was told about this tribe from the group of people he had just left. Henderson is driven to make amends for his actions. He desperately hopes that he will not screw up with the second tribe like he did the first. Henderson will become more important to the Warri people than he could ever hope for.

            After a peculiar entry into the tribe, Henderson and the king of the Warri, King Dahfu, become very close friends. One day the king invites Henderson to a special ceremony, designed to bring rain to the Warri. At this ceremony an important statue cannot be moved, since the statue is not moved there will be no rain. Henderson knows he can move the statue and he asks the king if he can try. Dahfu allows this to happen and once Henderson moves the statue of Mammuh, rain begins to fall. This is when Henderson officially becomes the rain king. He has finally done something to help. After this occasion Henderson never hears the voice in his heart again. I believe that this is because he satisfied his need to help.  Soon after this Henderson leaves to return home. On the trip back to the United States he realizes that he loves his family. Not to say that he did not love them before but now he cannot wait to get home and see them. Also, even though he is middle-aged, he has found motivation to go back to school to become a doctor.

            Thinking back to when Henderson first hears that voice in his heart, it now becomes clear that the "I want" was never a selfish act of the subconscious. Yet a benevolent want to help people in any way that he could. Once he got over his distress he was then able to live his life. It is assumed that he goes back to his family and becomes a better father and husband. He also wants to become a more functional member of society by becoming a doctor. A profession that is all about helping others.

The greatest trick ever pulled

    I decided on doing my next blog on the which story or myth was the worst (gruesome/most evil). After trying to find a certain story I quickly realized that this was nearly an impossible task. There are so many stories in Ovid's book it is too difficult to pick one over any other story.
    Then in my Seminar class my professor Ben Luebner asked us if we had seen the movie The Usual Suspects. Almost none of my classmates, me included, had not seen it. After this he told us we should all watch it ASAP. So that night I found myself with a little extra time so I pulled the movie up on the internet. After watching this movie one of the characters, Keyser Soze, had shown me what my blog was gong to be about.
    First watch this clip  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgkBpWc8ngI. After seeing this I recognized that not one particular event could be singled out but one type of crime was the worst. Many of the stories in Ovid's book had are surrounded by deceit and disguise. This is what I have found to be the most evil thing of all. As we are told "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist."  This raises the question, how can you be scared of something that doesn't exist? And if you don't believe in the devil (I am not advocating one way or another) then there is nothing to worry about.....or is there?

Anemonemeonomemneoem...?

Last week when we were preparing for the test, someone brought up the story of Venus and Adonis. As the myth goes (simplified) Venus took the blood from Adonis and turned it into an Anemone flower. Immediately after the question was posed three or four people where trying to get their two cents in about how to pronounce the word. In class people argued for several minutes over which pronunciation was more correct. To this day I am not sure how to say the word, I will probably never know. This reminded me of a movie I had seen where a certain character couldn't figure out the pronunciation of a similar word. Watch this and you will understand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ1KDf3O-qU.
Now the word the that Nemo was trying to say was Sea Anemone, which is more of a jellyfish than a flower even though it is classified as a flower. Although they are describing different plants/animals the word still gives man and animal alike a hard time with pronunciation.

Book XV

Myscelus- A mortal man favored by the gods and great Hercules built the city on Italian soil.Pythagoras- He gives use many reasons not to be carnivores and he maybe the first to be a vegetarian. Egeria and Hippolytus- Drug and scattered was his body all over the ground, so much so that he was recognizable as just one giant wound.Cipus- The once feared horns that sprouted on his brow had brought him to be the ruler of the city of Rome.Aesculapius- The god needed to find a place for his shrine and for this he went to the ground.

Book XIV

Glaucus, Circe, Scylla- Even someone on as great and powerful as a god can fall under the emotions of jealous and envy, this Circe proves.The Sibyl- A mortal was given great power and yet she was not specific with her wish and now will die an old old woman.Aeolus, Ulysses, Circe- After they found their lost (and almost forgotten) Greek, they retold their gruesome adventures.The Fountain of Janus- This story shows that even help form the "hand" of a god does not ensure victory.Hersila- Love can be so great that it is in life, death, and even immortality. 

Book XIII

Ulysses and Achilles' Armour- The mind will always prove to avail over the body, even in times of war.Ajax- After his first defeat he could not stand to lose so he took his own life. Can you say sore loser? Polyxena- The Shade of Achilles' demanded a gruesome sacrifice, the life of poor Polyxena.Hecuba, Polydorus, Polmestor- The grief of Hecuba was so great that even the gods pitied her. The Daughters of Anius- The four daughters were graced with the power to turn anything into wine, wheat, or oil.

Book XII

Achilles and Cycnus- For the second time we see a mortal man whose courage is unchecked by the power of the gods.Caenis/Caenus- After defilement by the great god of the sea, she wanted this to never happen again; as a man she/he would never endure it again.Lapiths and Centaurs- If anything can be learned from this gruesome battle it is to watch how much wine you drink, especially at a wedding.Caenus- Although he could not be killed by sword, the centaurs still found a way to kill the mighty Caenus.The death of Achilles- The gods had it out for Achilles and yet in his death, men honored him.

Book XI

The Bacchantes- Maybe their be no wrath like a women scorned; this may be true but do not tell that to Bacchus.Midas- If you have one wish from the gods you better think twice about it or you will end up hating what you once loved.Troy- Never was their a mortal man, except one, that could face and conquer the gods, he was know as Hercules.Ceyx- A king was deceived by the treacherous Pelus. The Wolf- Blood can frenzy any beasts to do almost anything, even to disobey orders.

A Bad Day II

Sorry about my last post my video and pictures did not load. I will give the links for them on this one. If you do have time the video is quiet funny. Enjoy!
Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOpEbmEf0YM
Pictures:Hole in my handhttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1419370652061&set=a.1152196732880.2023811.1466507934&ref=fbx_album,  Bandaged ribshttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1287898125330&set=a.1287881964926.2043521.1466507934&ref=fbx_album, Pulled hamstringhttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1287898685344&set=a.1287881964926.2043521.1466507934&pid=30777728&id=1466507934

A Bad Day

So after being in class today I remembered this particularity bad day. It was about a year and a half ago when it happened.
Okay to give you some background first. Going into my last year of track I had high expectations. The year before I could not compete because I had pulled my hamstring. Going into my final year of track I was expected to take two to three seconds and two to three firsts. Along with my finishes I was chasing my fathers two hundred record that he had set close to thirty five years ago. He had run a 21.4 and if I could run a 21.6, with the timing standards of today, I would consider us even. This was my true goal, to beat or at least tie my dad's record.

Now about the day at hand. To start the day off we had the 4x100 meter relay. We had our third leg back finally after missing the whole year with a leg injury. This would be our first time running in together and it was our only time that year. This first part of the video is what happened.

So the good news is we did complete the race(before I fell) and we did so in a record setting time. I had some injuries from this "wreck." For one I had tore a big chunk of skin off of my left hand.

Along with the hole in my hand I had scraped up my upper torso and chest. To compete in my events for the rest of the day I had to wrap my torso and chest.

Although I had had a long day, overall it still was a great day. The last event of the day was the the 200 trails. After a rough day, I was excited to get this last race down with. I only had to get in the top five to advance to the next day. This is what happened.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1287898685344&set=a.1287881964926.2043521.1466507934&pid=30777728&id=1466507934

I had pulled my hamstring again. I had not been able to compete in long jump or triple jump. These events I was hoping for a first or second place. Also I could not run the next day in the 100 or the 200 which I confident in my abilities to take second in both. The one good thing that happened was my relay team had won the 4x100 relay.

Book X

Hyacinthus- Do not be too anxious especially around the strength of the gods.The Cerastes- The gods have shown that of all the things they can do they most frequently like to change people forms, a bull is their trademark.Pygmalion- I guess true love truly knows know boundaries.Myrrha and Cinyras- The Electra complex is true for this troubled girl.Venus and Adonis- Although Cupid's arrow had struck the goddess, she might have fallen in love with handsome Adonis anyway.

Book IX

Achelous and Hercules- Mortal as he may be, Achelous in all three forms could not hold of the ferocity of Hercules.Hercules and Deianira- Even gods where impressed with all the achievements of Jove's son, so much so, they gave their consent to make him a god. Alcmena- If it were not for Galanthis's trickery we may have never known of Hercules and his great feats.Dyrope- What a terrible way to end a life, to be engulfed by a tree.Byblis and Caunus- The sinful love of ones brother turns her into a ceaseless stream.

Book VIII

Scylla, Nisus, and Minos- Killing ones family is a cold hard sin, yet stealing their hair? Thats is just bizarre.Daedalus and Icarus- A father's love for his son is sometimes no match for the curiosity of a young boy.The Calydonian Hunt- A ravid bore sent by Diana terrorizes the people.Althaea and Meleager- Diana's cold harsh vengeance tore apart an entire family. erysichthon's Sin- When a man seems possesed do not try and stop him, for he will surely be dealt with in the end.

Book VII

Madea and Jason- Even a prize such that of a Golden Fleece is not enough when your heart desires something more.Theseus and Aegues- Never had the people had a celebration like the on that Aegues had brought by the saving of his own son. Cephalus- When entering into any sort of battle it is always nice to have "back-up."The Plague- The most terrible thing to attack your land is something that you know nothing of how it is caused.Myrmidons- The city had an abundance of people, one could say they bustled around like ants.

Book VI

Arachne- Challenge a God or Goddess to a contest and win or lose the outcome you will still always lose.Niobe- Hubris is almost never pitied by the gods, they show swift vengeance.
Marsyas- Tears will never be able to bring someone back even if they are loved by all.
Tereus, Procne, and Philomela- Lust is a very powerful emotion that can make a person do terrible things.Boreas and Orithyia- Love can never be stopped and it will do almost anything to get what it wants.

First Dream

I feel like I missed telling my first dream. I blogged about my first memory but not my first dream. I come back to this after nearly a month hiatus.I am doing this because my first dream that I can recall happened numerous times and I believe it be quiet peculiar.

To start I began having this dream when I was 12 or 13. Since this time I have had it at least five times. To my dismay I have not had this dream in close to four years. Unfortunately I can not remember the entire dream but I can recollect the last part. This part is the exact same every time I have this dream. As I previously stated I do not know what I was doing before this time but all of my substantial work had culminated to this one event. I am at the end of my dream and I have to battle another creature.

  It is not another human, yet it not a dragon or monster. It reminds me of Mortal Kombat. This is also my point of view. I see myself as if I am watching the video game being played. The only difference between the game and my dream is my coach. Each opponent, myself and the creature, has their own coach. The coach has their own small screen in the upper left/right hand of the picture. As always, my coach is my dad. At the end of my dream I am zoomed in on only the left side of the screen (I am always on the left side) and all I can see is my dad and myself. I am struggling with something or I am losing, either way my dad is not talking but not yelling at me in this condescending way. He always uses this tone when I am making something harder than it has to be. With my dad speaking to me and with my struggle my dream ends. I have always wanted to know what this dream means or if it means anything at all. So if anyone has some insight into what this means, I am all ears.

Book V

Perseus and Phineus- The fight of only two men left hundreds dead or turned to stone.
Polydectes- If he shall be so bold, stare up at the invented face to find yours turned to stone.
Pyrenus- Just because you can fly does not mean have whatever your heart desires.
Ceres and Proserphina- The worst thing in the world is a women scorned, yet the worst thing in the universe is a goddess scorned.
The Pierdes- Challenging the gods to anything will certainly lead to your inevitableness demise.