post 10 / Hannah Pulley

Many versions of the story exist, but as retold in Greek mythology, Echo was a Nymph—a quiet creature of the fields and forest—and a chatterbox. Whether in casual conversation or in arguments, she loved the sound of her own voice and always had to have the last word, which was obviously something that could get any person—or Nymph—in trouble very quickly. One day, she had occupied Hera’s mind with her seemingly endless tales, which left the ever-straying Zeus free to consort with other Nymphs. When Hera discovers the diversion, whether or not it was intentional on Echo’s part, Echo is cursed to have no voice of her own, and instead can only repeat what is said to her.

Narcissus was the beautiful son of a Nymph Leirope and the river god Cephissus, and even as a child he was loved and hounded by all who wanted to admire him. Because of his vanity, however, none of these admirers were good enough for him. (and I believe that partially, he was fed up with the attention. I know I would be.) One day, Echo spots Narcissus in the woods, and is immediately mesmerized. She attempts to follow him, and when he calls out to see who it could be, she can only echo him. When the two run into each other, like a hasty collision in the hallways with books scattered and faces hidden, Narcissus pushes Echo away with little thought. Echo is left heartbroken by this rejection, and lies down and waits for death; her bones become stone and her voice is released to haunt the hills.

Several broken hearts later, Narcissus is cursed to fall in love and feel the pain of unreturned affections. One day, while gazing down at a pool of water, he becomes obsessed with the reflection he sees. Some versions of the story put it that a vision of Echo is reflected in the water, while most others say it was himself he gazed upon. Either way, it was someone he couldn't have. Overcome by this longing, he stabbed himself with a dagger. And that, my friends, is why you don’t confuse aesthetic attraction with love. Just remember: your apartment full of cats and potted succulents won’t care how you look.  

It’s not really a list that I put much effort into maintaining, but a few people come to mind. Reading Donald Trump’s Twitter feed is a waste of three minutes that’s easy to shrug off because it’s so comical, but then you remember that he’s being serious. At least half of the posts involve him talking up the Trump Towers and his golf courses, and the other half consist of him entertaining the thought of running for president; interspersed in here are opinions so extreme and views so far removed from those of the average American that I would fear the day that he actually did run.

A person that I greatly admire, not just for his altruism but for all-around amazing-ness is writer Ned Vizzini. While he was most well-known for It’s Kind of A Funny Story, he shared so much of himself and his experiences in short stories, speeches he gave at many universities and libraries, and other published works. Vizzini was an outspoken proponent for mental health awareness and from his writing, the connection that he emphasized between writing and personal healing, between art and medicine, is very much evident.

Pontikis, Nick. "Myth Man's Echo & Narcissus." Myth Man's Echo & Narcissus. 1 Jan. 1999. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://thanasis.com/echo.html>.