The Adventure of Odysseus (Essay Sample)
The word “odyssey” is defined as “a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune” in the dictionary. Although we may not know it, all of us, from the smallest cell to the average human, are on an odyssey throughout our entire life, with many challenges, successes, and changes along the way. Thus, this is the same for me as well, albeit it is an odd journey. However, I suppose that is what an odyssey is, and that brings me to my own.
My high school odyssey began nonchalantly. It did not start badly, nor did it start great either. The path I wanted to take was simplistic. I planned to navigate through high school with the helpful aid and enjoyable addition of my friend group, carrying over from middle school. Although, I noticed our connection started to fade, especially during the pandemic, at the time, until they broke away and went their separate ways from me, like a leaf exiting the stem of a dead flower. As such, I was forced on my path, which has not exactly gone the best so far. The unexpected factors I experienced this year are akin to Odysseus's adventure in the fact that there were many victories and memories as well as losses and regrets, yet all were a surprise to me. In any odyssey, anything can and will happen unexpectedly, so doing your best to prepare is essential, although the actual results of the preparation are anyone’s guess. Throughout the year, we were tasked with taking a self-assessment, and the result I received was a fixed mindset with growth tendencies. This is because I tend to look for the facts of reality rather than try to conjure positives about the situation. Although these analytical abilities usually tend to help me through or even resolve the situation, I cannot ignore that I have my weaknesses. In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer, the protagonist, Odysseus, tells the irate cyclops, Polyphemus, “’Cyclops,- if ever mortal man inquire- how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him- Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:- Laertes’s son, whose home’s on Ithaca!” (The Odyssey (Pearson), Page 574). This displays that Odysseus’s hubris is his pride as well as how hubris is a prominent flaw in a person. This matters because this was the main factor that fueled most of the obstacles, losses, and detours Odysseus faced on his journey. My hubris is procrastination. It prevented me from truly progressing in/out of school, trying new things, and completing tasks. Although it, fortunately, has not been too much of an obstacle in my odyssey, it still protrudes like a sore thumb.
Throughout my adventure, I have met many distractions and lost many connections in the process. For instance, one day, my goal was quite straightforward, yet it was still an important task: a school project., my goal was quite straightforward one day The distraction in question was simply my electronic, p, my goal was quite straightforward one day perched a meager few feet away. One occasional check would multiply until the project’s existence was practically erased. To subvert this issue in the future, I could try to turn it off and put it away and occupy and immerse myself fully in the assigned work. I learned to remain focused on the task at hand. The idea that focusing more on one thing would divert focus from another thing was the theory I applied to carry out this goal. It is like the lesson Odysseus learned in the land of the Lotus Eaters. Staying focused on any situation is important, or else you will end up getting lost. Similarly, I once had a friend throughout my life, from the start of elementary school to the end of middle school. We tended to do everything together, given that we saw each other most of the time, in and out of classes. However, dating back to early 2020, as the pandemic started, our friendships started to fade. They got caught up in different friend groups and activities as I did as well. However, the main contributing factor was our dimming connection, especially when a conversation was made extinct during the pandemic. It finally reached its breaking point earlier this year, and although we still have short interactions at times on sight, we are distant memories to each other. This has some ties to Odysseus’s own (mis)adventures, as shown when he meets his crewmate and his mother in the Land of the Dead, who are now simply memories to both parties. Odysseus says, “I promised him, and his spirit faded back into the darkness. But then came another shade I knew too well: Anticleia, my own beloved mother, who had still lived when I sailed for Troy.” (The Odyssey (Pearson), Page 628). This shows how he got caught up in his escapades and setbacks in the Aegean Sea to the point where he forgot the things and people he left back home, who are now abandoned in the Land of the Dead. The importance of this stems from the fact that the Land of the Dead, in a sense, symbolizes death and rebirth, which allowed Odysseus to learn and improve his future as his past was lost.
Despite all this, I would not have gotten through my journey, or rather up to this point, if it were not for a mentor. A sort of hand guiding and recommending me on every action I would take. However, on the contrary, it would leave the important, personal decisions to me. This mentor in question would be my dad. The actions they took to aid in my actions aided in my health, wisdom, and character. This carried on into different mediums, whether it be school, home, or social life. He was able to relay common yet especially useful guidance to me while also allowing me to make my own choices when certain obstacles arose without cosseting or converging, which was an aspect many of my other guides and benefactors lacked. My dad is to me as Athena is to Odysseus on his journey. Furthermore, at times, I had to take on obstacles, changes, and new experiences on my own without a guiding hand. Thus, like any other organism, I have learned countless pieces of sage advice throughout my life. These can be behaviors, skills, or tidbits, albeit beneficial tidbits, of knowledge. Additionally, this applies to last year. Surprisingly, especially during the pandemic, I have learned not just mere skills or knowledge (although they are quite helpful), but also how to improve upon myself. This particularly includes school, social, and family life. I have learned to develop better educational habits, step out of my comfort zone, and better my relationships. Of course, there's always room for improvement, and so, I plan to make up for lost connections and stinging failures as I better myself as a person. When Odysseus journeys home from Calypso, he pleads, “I throw myself on your mercy, on your current now- I have suffered greatly. Pity me, lord, your suppliant cries for help” (Odyssey (Original), Book 5.494-496). This shows Odysseus’s realization that he is at the mercy of the gods now. This matters because it humbles him and results in him trying to become a better father, husband, and leader, which is like my situation, as we both “rebuild our kingdoms.”
Like Odysseus's adventures 3,000 years prior, my advantages and disadvantages have molded my odyssey. I have learned to become a better friend, student, son, and person overall, while also improving upon my strengths and weaknesses in the process. Conversely, my odyssey strays from Odysseus's at certain points in terms of successes, challenges, and failures. Although the destination is important, the journey of our odysseys itself is of the utmost importance.
