Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7

Ever since I was young, I would go to Central Park in New York every summer while visiting my sisters. Central Park is undeniably my favorite place in the whole world. I think simply strolling through the park and taking in New York’s eccentric sights is an event that is commemorative of me. If there were to be such a commemorative ritual, it would be any day during July, the hottest month of the year in the city. Although the actions people would have to do during this commemoration would only last a few minutes, they can stay as long as they want afterwards.

During this commemoration, one would take a walk around the whole park, climb up to the very top of the rocks, and just enjoy the views of the children playing in the playground, girls tanning on the grass, a friendly baseball game, families relishing a picnic for lunch, street musicians playing harmonious music, vendors selling hot dogs and ice cream, etc. At this “ritual,” I would like everyone there to recite, “What a wonderful life this truly is.” Because this commemoration is so casual, there is no specific attire or food necessary. I would just like people to take a couple of minutes out of their busy days to merely take a walk through the beautiful Central Park and clear their heads.

The Morality of Greek Myths- Reflection #6

Hermes - the messenger god

The skit that my group performed in class was a portrayal of the Greek myth Seasons. The story revolves around Hades, the god of the Underworld, kidnapping Persephone, the goddess of flowers, after falling in love with her. This causes Demeter, mother of Persephone and the goddess of harvest, to wreak havoc among her responsibilities and duties of overlooking the growth and prosperity of all living things. As all of nature slowly withers away, Zeus refuses to simply stand by, so he sends Hermes, the messenger god, to bring Persephone back from the Underworld. Although Persephone returns safely, she is forced to go back to the Underworld for seven months each year because she ate seven pomegranate seeds. So during the seven months Persephone is gone each year, Demeter returns to her mourning and doesn’t let nature flourish.

I believe that the moral of this story is to never give up on something or someone that you love. By forcing Zeus to use his authority to retrieve Persephone through curtailing her own responsibilities, Demeter didn’t stop fighting for her daughter. This moral is something that readers can take away or learn from this story. The seven-month intervals of Persephone’s stay on Earth are perceived to be the answer to an enigma that has been questioned for a long time. How were the seasons created? Although not completely answered even today, this Greek myth is a potential answer for all of us wondering how winter, summer, spring, and fall came to be. Through this story, readers can tell that the virtue of motherly love is important to the Greeks. The unconditional love a mother has for her child can be seen through the relationship between Demeter and Persephone.