Looking Towards the Future By Way of the Past

Did you know that Destruction lives on a secluded Greek island, right nearby where Orpheus' head is guarded?  He left his family to escape from the world, and lives with Barnabas the dog. (Barnabas was one of the first Christian disciples ever, and is attributed to the foundation of the Church of Cyprus, part of the Greek Orthodox Church.)  Destruction is a monstrous fellow, with great orange hair and a rough voice . . . much like a young Thor (or Hephaestus, depending on your Pantheon).  Before I get too far along in explaining Destruction, let me preface this with the following:


Throughout my grade-school years, I had one teacher for three different classes.  Mrs. B- was my 8th grade Social Studies teacher, and then my fill-in AP European History teacher in 11th grade, and then my AP Human Geography teacher senior year.  She also created and led the high school's Capitol Forum and Euro Bowl teams, both of which I participated in.  Additionally, Mrs. B- led the school's Fed Challenge and Mock Trial teams as well as the Veteran's Club, and (I believe) was head of the history department.  At least, she is the head now, at a different high school.


Essentially, she loves government in general and especially democracy and is thus very patriotic.  One of her two favorite sayings is:

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."  This is not a direct quote from some old white guy in a wig; rather, it is a version of what poet George Santayana said in his Law of Repetitive Consequences.  I never really grasped that idea until my 12th grade year of school.  I think I came to the realization that there is something slightly contradictory to that in Judaism, but also an agreeing concept.


The first is that whenever someone says a name like Hitler, they are supposed to say "May his name be erased forever" under their breath just after.  When I first learned this, I thought, well, that doesn't really work, does it?  If his name is erased, how will we teach younger generations what happened, so they don't repeat the same grievous atrocities?


The second aspect, the agreeing one, is that Jews are also deemed people of the book.  Our holy testament is a big history book.  The most intriguing concept about it, though, is that it doesn't only praise the main subjects (the Hebrews to Israelites to Jewish people), but also tells of the bad things.  How do I know not to commit incest or murder my neighbor if I hadn't been taught that by way of the stories of Lot (who was seduced by his two daughters) or of Sodom and Gomorra (two neighboring towns that were strewn with violence and arrogance, and thus destroyed in the long run)?  We, as Jews and whoever else reads the Old Testament and other such ancient texts, are forced to not forget history, so that we dare not repeat it.
This leads into my analysis of this week's books: episode 7 in Neil Gaiman's comic The Sandman.  It is called Brief Lives.  In it, among other side stories (albeit related tales), Delirium (who used to be Delight) and Dream take off on a supposedly short and misguided journey to find their lost brother, Destruction.  Delight, it seems, was in love with her brother, and misses him dearly.  It is implied that she transformed from Delight to Delirium only when he left.  Dream needed a break from his realm, as his most recent love (a goddess or whatnot) left him, and thus he was in a funk.  Remember, a funk to a being that is more than a god has great repercussions on the physical plane than a funk from one of us.  It was bad.  So, they went.


Throughout the story, however, it is understood that certain individuals are being murdered in mysterious events (that is, it is plain that they're dying and how, but no one can figure out why or by whom).  Also, there is always the looming memory of Destruction commanding - nay, pleading - for his siblings not to search for him, as he'll return when he's ready.  Something occurred in his past, in all their pasts, which made him revolt against his nature, and effectively retire as the reigning concept of Destruction.


This, like most of Neil Gaiman's work, speaks to me greatly.  There is always an overriding idea in each of book of The Sandman.  It could be explicitly stated, such as in this book, or less so, as some of the side stories do in previous books.  In this book, I find the message to be supporting the idea that everyone needs to get away once in a while, and during that time the individuals who were left behind should respect the departed's wishes.  Inevitably, the traveler will return in one way or another.  Through force or by free will, in a coffin or walking, they will always come back home.
I see this portrayed greatly in the various ancient texts of Judaism.  Brothers reunite after years of hostile separation, humans break a promise to God to look back upon their beloved city once more (only to turn into a pillar of salt . . . Kosher salt?, of that I'm not sure).

Going home is a something that everybody wishes for.  However, the common misconception is that home is where you live, where you were raised.  Rather, to use the common idiom, "Home is where the heart is."

My home is in the rural environment of Appalachia, of the east coast.  From the Adirondack Park to the Green and White Mountains of Vermont and Maine (respectively), from the back country of North Carolina to the C&O Canal towpath that runs not far from here . . . I am completely at peace when surrounded by those trees and streams, that bluegrass music and micro-brews (I have yet to have the real liquor of Appalachia: moonshine.  That stuff will make you blind!  I can't wait).



Anyway, back to the religion-stuff.  For many people, they believe they will only reach home when they die, and then only if they have traveled on the right path.  And yet, what is that famous line that I memorized in third grade?  Ah, yes . . .
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."  Who says that the so-called road to righteousness is the direction in which everyone (who believes) seems to be moving?  It is truly right on down the yellow brick road towards the Emerald City?  Maybe Jack Kerouac was right in his own ways, by leaping from coast to coast, seeing the dastardly side of life in all states (both of the USA and humanly-physical).  To truly find peace-of-mind, I believe, is to not focus.  Keep the lens a little off-kilter, and eventually you will something from just the right angle and distance that it is a clear picture.  The woods do that to me; the finish line is that goal for my mother, gardens evoke that emotion for my eldest sister.



Nevertheless, there will always be something hindering our path.  In this case, Delirium was the intrepid (kind of) traveler, while Dream was effectively her chaperon.  He had discussed with the other siblibgs the matter of finding the brother that wished not to be found, and only joined his younger sister in this quest to get his mind off of grief and to appease Delirium for a while.  Even as Delirium thought that Dream was aiding her, he was purposefully going slowly, hiding information from her that would entice her to march on in quick time.



When she did find out that he was intentionally restricting their voyage, she broke down and went back to her realm to pout.  Only then did Dream call her back and continue the quest; his main apprehension from the start was having to consult an oracle, and that simple meeting would effectively undo a great and ancient evil pact.  He realized in the end, though (and many of us do) that something must be sacrificed for the greater good, of both the community and the individual.  In a combination of my Jewish, multi-ethnic and literary educations, I have come to believe that everything occurs for some purpose, to move life forward.


The good always outweighs the bad for me; it might just be through mindset, but it is true.  I might miss a bus to the Metro and thus am pushing the limit on being late for a meeting, but only on the next bus would I meet an old friend - or a new companion.  I might not study hard enough for an exam and become anxious of failing, but then it all turns out all right and I develop my own way of thinking logically about the subject, furthering my interest in the school of thought.  In Dream's case, he had to find and talk with this oracle (who was also his son), and in doing this supposedly dangerous deed he reunited his own, immortal family, as well as all of his Eternal siblings.

I love The Sandman.  It is a thought provoking, intellectual and above all fun story to follow.  As with most of my interests, I can talk about and discuss this for quite a long time, but for now, I must sleep.  Who knows what will occur tomorrow that could change the course of history . . . if indeed history has a set path?