This is absolutely incredible. I don’t know if this makes sense, but reading this gave me the sense of being shaken awake - in the best way. Thank you.
As a lifelong lover of The Odyssey (I even did my senior thesis on it), this is a beautiful essay on love, marriage, living in truth with death and decay and exceptional connection to the themes of The Odyssey. Sending to my kids who were recently married or will be soon. One of the best essays I've read in some time.
Wow! Congrats on getting this in that collection. Absolutely deserved. I didn't know I had goals for any of my writing on here but now I have some aspirations haha. Great work :))
As a young 26 year old with a wife and two kids, who together are trying to articulate and live out something very much like what you’ve written about here, this moved me deeply. Thank you!
We just listened while embarking on our next adventure. It’s all new again with your lovely collaborative production. How did you two become so wise, so young? Perhaps it’s a communion of all those souls that have passed through the walls you are restoring.
The Greeks have 8 words for love, the way Inuit peoples have 24 words for snow. Agape - unconditional, selfless, universal love - was the one they considered its highest form. Modern life seems to place Eros - passionate, romantic, desire-driven love - above all else. Maybe that's the starting point of where we've gone wrong. Beautiful piece, thanks for sharing it.
If you’re talking about the corporate ladder or something, maybe. Otherwise, no. Women pretty universally do not date anyone lower status or less intelligent than themselves. The opposite is not true. That means men have to make something out of themselves to be at all viable.
The problem for most people now is that they neither have a Penelope nor the option to stay on Calypso's island. They don't even have an identifiable Trojan war to embark on, and perhaps that is the greatest problem of this generarion.
This is one of the first essays I read on Substack, sent to me by my husband. I loved it then and I love it now.
Beautiful thanks for telling me
This is absolutely incredible. I don’t know if this makes sense, but reading this gave me the sense of being shaken awake - in the best way. Thank you.
As a lifelong lover of The Odyssey (I even did my senior thesis on it), this is a beautiful essay on love, marriage, living in truth with death and decay and exceptional connection to the themes of The Odyssey. Sending to my kids who were recently married or will be soon. One of the best essays I've read in some time.
this was a lovely read...here's to hoping every man finds his Penelope, and every woman her Odysseus
amen!
Wow! Congrats on getting this in that collection. Absolutely deserved. I didn't know I had goals for any of my writing on here but now I have some aspirations haha. Great work :))
"What’s romantic about a wedding are the parts modern weddings cut out or downplay: the “til’ death” part. That’s not to be morbid. The opposite."
Beautifully written -- reminds of Jason Isbell's "If We Were Vampires".
As a young 26 year old with a wife and two kids, who together are trying to articulate and live out something very much like what you’ve written about here, this moved me deeply. Thank you!
💗So beautiful. Congratulations and may Life’s blessings enrich your union always. 🙏
Beautiful to hear your words in the honey-moon voice of Riley. I will play this for Gina. Blessings on your union!
Blessings to the aspirational couple!
We just listened while embarking on our next adventure. It’s all new again with your lovely collaborative production. How did you two become so wise, so young? Perhaps it’s a communion of all those souls that have passed through the walls you are restoring.
The Greeks have 8 words for love, the way Inuit peoples have 24 words for snow. Agape - unconditional, selfless, universal love - was the one they considered its highest form. Modern life seems to place Eros - passionate, romantic, desire-driven love - above all else. Maybe that's the starting point of where we've gone wrong. Beautiful piece, thanks for sharing it.
Elegant, wise, and beautifully written. May it reach many an Odysseus.
Not sure what he meant in that line that young men have to prove themselves while young women don’t…. If anything it’s the opposite lol
If you’re talking about the corporate ladder or something, maybe. Otherwise, no. Women pretty universally do not date anyone lower status or less intelligent than themselves. The opposite is not true. That means men have to make something out of themselves to be at all viable.
holy…. wow… this may be one of the most incredible inspiring and beautiful peices i have come across on here.
The problem for most people now is that they neither have a Penelope nor the option to stay on Calypso's island. They don't even have an identifiable Trojan war to embark on, and perhaps that is the greatest problem of this generarion.