MIRROR

It can't get much more random -- or for that matter -- much more transparent than this. But I have a problem with mirrors. That's right. I have to look in one when it presents itself. I've always had an obsessive-compulsive streak and it manifests whenever a mirror is available. Joelene tells me from time to time when we're walking down the street to stop looking in the glass windows because she's knows I'm just looking at myself in the reflection. It's probably flat-out vanity - or self-consciousness - or something just as terrible.

Remember Snow White? It got her in some pretty serious trouble. It reminded me of a couple of uses of mirrors from my Greek mythology class in high school. I always liked that class.

Narcissus. He was blessed by the gods with supernatural good looks (and before you say it, "Yes, I realize that is not my problem"). All the women of the world adored him, but he never returned their love. Over time, that made the maidens angry and they asked the gods to punish him. The gods listened. Deep in the woods, they created a pool of pure, mirror-like, silver water. One day, after a day of hunting and thirst, Narcissus stumbled upon the pool. Leaning over to drink, he saw his own image mirrored, but he mistook it for a beautiful water spirit living down there (OK, so Narcissus was not only great-looking, he was also an idiot). And as he gazed at the bright eyes, curly locks of hair and healthy glow, he fell in love. But when he leaned forward to kiss the image, it 'fled' at the moment of contact. After a time, it would return and Narcissus would become enamored once more. He became so taken with the image that he could not sleep or eat. He could think of nothing else. Eventually, he withered away and died.

The traditional interpretation of the story is that Narcissus fell in love with his stupid self. It was a Greek warning against excessive self-love. Sigmund Freud later derived the term narcissism from this story.

The main error of Narcissus however, was not that he fell in love with himself, but that he failed to RECOGNIZE himself in the mirror. He couldn't perceive that the image was simply an extension of himself and that gave the image power to hurt him and ultimately kill him. If he had only understood the mirror was reflecting his own face, the power of the mirror would have been immediately conquered and he could have USED it for his benefit.

The other mirror story in Greek mythology tells the story of a young man named Perseus. In the land where Perseus grew up, a horrifying monster named Medusa was on a rampage. Anyone who looked directly into her eyes immediately turned to stone. Perseus courageously volunteered to destroy her (what a guy!). The gift the gods gave to help him was a highly-polished shield. When Perseus found her, Medusa was quietly sleeping. He approached her, being careful never to look her in the face. He used his bright shield as a guiding mirror, keeping his eyes fixed only on her reflection. Suddenly she woke with a hiss and glared at Perseus, but since he was looking at her reflection and not directly at her, he was unharmed. He thrust his sword and sheared off her head and ultimately offered it as a gift to the king and brought peace to the mythical land.

For one person - the mirror was a distraction -- something that gained power over him, leading to his own death. For the other, the mirror was an extension of himself that he controlled. That understanding allowed him to survive something that had claimed the lives and souls of many others.

So, MAN IN THE MIRROR, use the things around you for your benefit rather than letting them to control you (I told you it was going to be random today).

And be blessed.