Raising Rocks
Convinced of the wholly human origin
of all that is human, a blind man eager to see
who knows that the night has no end,
he is still on the go.
The rock is still rolling.
I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain!
One always finds ones burden again.
But Sisyphus teaches a higher fidelity
that negates the gods and raises rocks.
He too concludes that all is well.
Excerpt, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
All is not well. One need not be a genius to see, to sense that our society is not self sustaining, an organism functioning in a balanced, healthy manner. I am finishing a book by Jessica Bruder, Nomadland. It is about senior citizens, and those much younger who find themselves pushed beyond the margins of the protective umbrella of society. Any number of events have tipped these citizens from their settled homes, to a rootless, on-the-road nomadic existence. They move about to survive, living off the grid, as economically as possible, — following the low wage work at Amazon warehouses, the Minnesota beet harvest, seasonal hosting at national parks. .
I received an email from a friend this morning, alerting me to a article detailing former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg’s “empire of influence”. Common sense tells me that Bloomberg has learned from experience that the game of politics at the highest level is a matter of influence, and good will always has a price. The worth of a thing is what one pays to obtain it. He is willing to pay in order to be a contender.
And meanwhile you and I are a 21st century equivalent of Sisyphus. We must live the one life we are given, finding our burden, keeping our rock rolling.
If you’d like to read the short essay by Albert Camus summarizing the Myth of Sisyphus CLICK HERE.
