Icarus in images [A Completely Revised Post]

Jamie Haggerty, copyright 2001. All rights reserved.
jamieh@starvoltage.net

A few words about my online handle, as I have some time to wax mythological. As we all know, the story holds Icarus was the son of Daedulus, an architect, a poet. Daedalus assisted King Minos's daughter in thwarting Minos' plans to trap the king of Athens in the Labyrinth where the Minotaur would kill him. Not a good career move, considering Minos was his boss. Daedulus and Icarus were imprisoned in the maze themselves and meant to die there in due course. As we all know you can't keep a good man down for long, and Daedulus devised those fateful wings to escape the Labryrinth.

Of course, what he didn't count on was his son's fundamental disposition; reckless in a quintessentially human way. Despite clear explanation and understanding of the risks, despite being an athlete and scholar himself, Icarus lost his focus, gave free reign to his id and chose short term gratification over long-term goals. He pays dearly for his choices. How truly pathetic, yet undeniably relatable his situation is. His temptation seems to me to be our temptation, and I can bring myself to pity him, but not to judge him.

I see the flight of Icarus; his decisions, and the penalties he paid for them, in my struggle to play this dangerous game better, to live better, and to just be better. I have to believe that given another crack at it, Icarus would have made it home.

Sember Weinman, copyright 2001. All rights reserved.
semberlee@hotmail.com