The Troubled Life of a Great Man!

Happy Halloween to my fellow bloggers out there; I hope everyone has been well since my last address to you. I would like to talk about a great king. His name is Oedipus. When Oedipus was born, a prophecy was made that one day he would kill his father and marry his mother. His parents gave him to a slave to place and leave him on a hill so he would die, but he could not do it. A family adopted little Oedipus and raised him as their own. When he grew up, he heard the prophecy and left for Thebes so it would not come true (he did not know that his biological family lived there). On his way, he killed the Sphinx that would kill people if they got its riddle wrong. When he arrives, he gets into an argument with man and kills him (his true father, King Laos). Then, he becomes king and marries Queen Jocasta (his mother). He soon finds out that the prophecy is true and who he truly is and tears out his eyes. This leads me into my discussion.

I would like to talk about how Oedipus took on the weight of the world and was dealt a bad set of cards for doing such a great job. The city of Thebes was facing a plague. People were dying in such great numbers that there was not enough of the living to ensure that each of the victims was cremated. Oedipus had to deal with this. He took on the weight of the city and took the responsibility for everything that was happening. Oedipus must find the person who is responsible for this curse and he even curses the person to be exiled. After searching for a very long time, Tiresias, a blind prophet, gives Oedipus some bad news. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the cursed one. Because he is the one who has cursed the city, Oedipus inflicts pain on himself by cutting out his eyes and exiling himself.

When I think of Oedipus, I can relate him to many modern figures. The main person who comes to mind is Michael Jackson. You are probably thinking, “Wow, this doesn’t fit at all,” but hear me out. Just like Oedipus, Michael Jackson was a man with everything and had a lot of responsibilities of raising children and keeping up in mainstream media, but tragedy soon hit. He was diagnosed with Vitiligo, had problems with drugs, and convicted with child molestation (he was found innocent). In a sense, he was exiled, just like Oedipus.

I personally have a great sense of pity for Oedipus. He was man who had everything, but soon it all went awry. I believe that Oedipus took on to much than he could handle. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had to deal with a terrible plague, find the person who was cursed, and find his true self. Then, when everything is revealed to him, he takes it badly. I do believe that he had to exile himself, but not inflict that much harm on him. If there is something I have learned from this story, it is to not judge people too harshly and to forgive mistakes that they have made.

Until next time, may the Force be with you.

Thank you,

Ryan Sperratore

Is The Mind More Powerful Than The Body?!?!?

I would like to address my massive audience (of one) today about the wonder, power, and strength of the mind. There are many times when we hear stories about immaculate feats and when the person who accomplishes those feats are asked, “How did you manage to do that;” the answer is always the same, “With the power of my mind and heart.” This leads me to discuss a quote that pertains to the second part of number 13 on The Power of One Socratic Seminar questions. The question is the following: “In what way does Peekay live out the aphorism ‘First with your head, then with your heart’ throughout the rest of the novel?” Our class touched on this topic, but it is something I just cannot get out of my head. I will explain.

This quote is presented in The Power of One, written by Bryce Courtenay. Peekay, a young English boy, meets a boxer named Hoppie who tells him, “First with your head, then with your heart,” after Hoppie’s boxing match. Peekay applies this quote to the rest of his life. When he takes up the hobby of boxing, all of the Africans that he boxes are taller and stronger than he is. He must first win the mental fight and push on with his heart. He also applies this to his academics. He is a very smart kid and he shows this when is at boarding school as has to put up with the Judge and the other Nazi kids as well as his subjects at the Prince of Whales School.

When I think of this quote, there is ultimately one movie (saga) that comes to mind…Rocky. The story of Rocky Balboa is a remarkable story that personifies this quote. The story of a young man from Philly who is determined to make it big in the boxing world. Rocky is known for his come backs. Whenever Rocky seems like he is going to lose, he applies that quote and BOOM!!! He comes back and wins. Just like Peekay, Rocky fights boxers who are bigger than him, such as Mr. T., and Dolph Lundgren. The Italian Stallion conquers all.

I personally believe that this is the greatest quote ever said. I have applied this quote to my life. I believe that this is the way we should live. First, we need to think things through and win the fight with our mind, and then proceed with our heart. Our mind is what makes us strong and our heart is what helps us push through. I challenge you, reader, to apply this to your life and see the affects that it can produce. Just remember: “first with your head, then with your heart.”

Until next time, I bid you adieu.

Thank you,

Ryan Sperratore