In Book 19 of The Odyssey, Penelope recounts to a disguised Odysseus her dream of a great eagle swooping out of the sky and killing twenty geese she tends to, which leaves her brokenhearted. The eagle tells her to be happy since he symbolizes the husband who will wreak vengeance on her suitors. Whether Homer intended this dream to demonstrate the power of prophecy, a complex psychological statement regarding Penelope’s
Oscar Wilde once wrote in a letter, “People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely because chickens run about so absurdly that it’s impossible to count them accurately.” In keeping with this sentiment, here are ten reasons to avoid taking yourself too seriously. Those who take themselves too seriously tend to be unwilling to accept what they have. They dwell on disappointments and fears, thereby wasting
“Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him!” Mr. Micawber, David Copperfield Charles Dickens often generated 90 pages of quality text a month, and he published novels like Great Expectations chapter by chapter in weekly periodicals. No doubt, Dickens was a rare breed, but he set a standard that every serious writer should consider. There’s no point in being a writer if no one reads your work. Even Dickinson and Kafka
To pay it forward means that instead of paying someone back for a good deed, you do a good deed for someone else. Paying it forward takes on all sorts of shapes. You can relinquish your first-place position in a long line at the 7-Eleven when someone behind you is in a hurry. Maybe you’ll buy a nice bottle of wine for a couple across the way in the restaurant
Poetry is far from becoming a cultural artifact regardless of the Information Age’s dry mechanical demands. The discipline serves too many vital functions to be avoided or overlooked for any extended period of time. In fact, everyone should write a poem, and soon. Following are ten reasons why. When you write a poem, you participate in the oldest literary tradition. True, writing sprang for commercial needs over 5,000 years ago
Sometimes, we all feel like the world is going to end, especially when watching the news. Armageddon looks to be right around the corner, and the Zombie Apocalypse seems all too certain, especially given the recent Ebola outbreaks. It’s natural to react with fear. In times like these, you might be tempted to lock the doors, check the ammo and food stores, and make sure all your guns are in
