During my first year of college I took an intro Classics course from Professor Michael Armstrong, a man who would become one of my most trusted advisors as I progressed through undergrad. In our first course together we discussed the myth of Pandora. We covered the usual reading and interpretations of the myth, but then Professor Armstrong asked us to consider if the box was filled with evils, why would hope be in there at all? The interpretation many classics scholars had was not the warm, fuzzy one of hope being the greatest good. Rather, their interpretation was that the box was shut just in time to keep hope, the greatest evil, from escaping. (Cue my 18 year old mind being blown...)
Over the years I have come back again and again to these two interpretations of the Pandora myth. Often because these dueling interpretations marked the commencement of my love of religious interpretation and analysis, but lately more so because of the role of hope in my life.
When Cora was transferred from Glens Falls Hospital to Albany Med, a sheriff brought us down in his car, following the ambulance since we did not have a car at the hospital. During that seemingly endless ride, we had hope. At that point we did not realize how long she had been without oxygen. We were not naive, we knew that she would likely have brain damage, but we thought we would still have our girl. We had hope as we waited in the PICU hallway waiting for the doctor to come out and talk to us.
Now, hope is a word used almost daily in my life. Hope that this chemo is buying me some more time. Hope that my treatments continue to be tolerable. Hope that I will get to spend many, many more days with Kelly and my little boys (and everyone else...).
So, which interpretation of the Pandora myth is correct? I don't know. I do know that without hope, that car ride would have been intolerable. I know with hope, this cancer journey is tolerable.
4 comments:
Thanks for getting us to think. It is too easy to just keep busy.
Hope is persistence in the face of poor odds. It defies logic, but it is what keeps us going. We have all been dying since the day we were born. Hope for rewards along the way and afterward keeps us from dwelling on negatives.
I hope that I will stay healty and get more fit despite being deep on the back side of my life expectancy. Despite hoping for a long life, I hope for a longer one for my daughter. I hope that you see me age gracefully and swim right by me, as you deserve to do.
It's maleability is probably why the myth has such a long life.
"Bad" hope. We've all seen it. When that couple just won't stop hurting one another and all their friends say, "Why don't they just break up?" it's because one or both has the hope they can get their sweet earlier relationship back.
But you don't know at the time whether it's good sustaining hope or bad hope. The 11th time (or whatever) Walt Disney failed in business but still had hope, his friends must have been wishing he'd give it up.
And sometimes you hope for the wrong thing or in a way that seems wrong: maybe your hope that you could keep Cora forever, in some form,kept you from falling apart just long enough to have a good goodbye with her in your arms. I don't know about that, just speculating.
I know that sometimes the situation I am looking at is not going to turn out the way I want but there might be another one I need borrowed hope to get to.
I also have always felt Pandora got a bad rap. We are all mad at her, but it was not her doing, really, because she was unaware, and "Pandora" -- it means gift to the world. What a beautiful sound to her name and what a beautiful meaning. Maybe the Greeks were giving us another clue in her deceptive name.
There's no place like Hope...
"Once you choose hope, anything's possible."
~ Christopher Reeve
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