PERSPECTIVES:
The Window
Rapunzel: Cosmology Lost
“When everything
is in flux, it is the not-so-obvious periodicities that capture the imagination
of the initiate who begins to perceive the hidden geometry that connects the
cycles of the moon or the wanderings of the planets.”
“As
one gets older…, one joins the contemplative old people on the bench and…begins
to take in the entire field of playground, city, landscape, culture, and
planet, and on as far as one cares to take it in one’s meditations on ‘the
pattern that connects.’”
Perspective. Is the glass half empty or half full? Is the Journey a reward or a punishment? Through our window of life, our world view is
colored by our experiences, our beliefs, our hopes, and our dreams.
Officially joining “the old people on the bench” this
year as I turn 50, I definitely have different perspectives than I did three
decades ago. I realize life is
perspective. “Bad things” happen to
everyone. Only I can make lemonade out
of the lemons, so to speak. It’s my
responsibility whether I decide to drown in self-pity or to find the silver
linings. The window and the view I see
outside of that window is mine alone.
However, my perspectives connect me with the others in the world with
whom I interact. My desires and demands
ripple outward and affect others. I find it easier to see the bigger picture now, am less worried about the small stuff, and more cognizant that I hope to leave the world a better place than when I entered it.
On the literal level of Rapunzel, I was
sympathetic to the woman’s husband. A
pregnant, demanding wife can be a scary roommate. I know my cravings for DingDongs and Lucky
Charms sent my poor husband to the grocery store after midnight a few times. Fortunately,
no sorceress was demanding the life growing within me. Choosing between an
insane, pregnant wife and a sorceress’ price for the desired goods would be a
difficult decision indeed.
I am perplexed at why the story of
Rapunzel does not address how the parents’ loss of a child affected them. Did the mother feel guilty because she forced
her husband into an impossible situation?
Did the father feel like a wuss for succumbing to his wife’s demands,
even at the expense of their child? Did
the father resent his wife for being so unreasonable? Did Rapunzel resent her parents for giving
her up? Why are these issues not important in the scheme
of the story?
Guilt. Loss.
Resentment. Redemption. Cowardice. Courage. Narcissism. Sacrifice. All are Universal themes of mythology. Is the
absence of these details as much of a statement as their inclusion? I don’t know, it just made me curious.
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