Narcissus And Echo

Narcissus found his way to the shore, and he fell in love with his own reflection. There was a woman, a nymph named Echo, who followed him; but he paid her no attention. Instead he stood on the side of the pond, looking at his own reflection in the water.

Hours passed; days passed. Narcissus took no food and only occasionally took water from the pond. He continued to stand on the side of the pond, mesmerized at his reflection and paying no attention to the woman who was in love with him.

Eventually, as he did not take food, he saw his reflection turn gaunt. Then it began to change. Instead of brown hair and eyes, he saw blonde hair and blue eyes. It was Jesus coming at him from the water.

Jesus told him, “What good are you getting from watching your own reflection? There is a woman behind you who loves you, and she can make you much happier than you can possibly make yourself.”

Narcissus said, “I am so beautiful, I can't take my eyes off myself.” Jesus said, “Echo is beautiful as well, and she loves you. She can love you much better than you can love yourself.”

Narcissus remembered what he had been taught: That before loving another you have to love yourself; that romantic love is a search for external validation; that before you can say I love you you have to say the I. These thoughts poisoned him against seeking a relationship with Echo, which in his mind passed for codependency. However seeing his reflection turned gaunt he started to think that those thoughts weren't rightful ones, and that maybe being with Echo would be a more fulfilling existence than watching his reflection in the pond.

He was also exposed to other ideas: That love is transference from a parent. However Narcissus had had a bad relationship with his parents, and they accused him of, well, narcissism. He started to think that maybe Echo was good in her own right, whatever his personal experiences, and that maybe loving her was a function of loving her and only her and had nothing to do with his past.

So Narcissus turned away from the pond and embraced Echo. They did not always live happily, but it was a better fate than dying from thirst and hunger. And eventually they had a family and raised children who got the best from both sides of the family and became beautiful in every way.

In Memory Of Roy Wagner

Dr. Roy Wagner, an anthropology professor at University of Virginia, recently passed away. He left behind a large and distinguished body of work and many good memories.

I knew Roy through a friend of a friend. Roy's son Jonathan had a friend named Janice, who struck up a friendship with me. She got involved with Roy. She committed suicide at age 23, but Roy and I remained in contact.

Every time I contacted him, he had something interesting to say. He talked about the mathematical system of the New Guinea natives and the unsinkable boats that they had. He talked about Native American mysticism and Australian aboriginal magic. He also talked about things that I would have considered lunacy had it not come from a distinguished professor – things such as the Sasquatch.

He liked my essays and said that I can make a case for anything. He also was encouraging me to do anthropological work on the Palm Island in Australia, near where I lived. I haven't been able to do that because Palm Island is a closed community; but I've been taking an anthropological approach to dealing with people from many cultures and studying their practices.

Roy had an encyclopedic knowledge. He knew much about both his field and many others. He knew the Russian name of Czar Ivan the Terrible. He had read Gogol. He knew advanced chemistry. And every time I called, he taught me something.

Roy, you have lived a meaningful life, and you are being missed. I hope that you are happy wherever you are.