Permanence..

What in our world is permanent? One may think his home is permanent; a solid foundation cemented in the ground, but will it not still fall if a hurricane comes through? Scars are permanent, but do they not fade with time? In life very little is permanent, including life itself. We are born, we live and die. Some live longer, but no matter what, at some point for every person life comes to an end. Gilgamesh’s journey is both physical and emotional as he searches for immortality. The response from Utnapishtim is “There is no permanence” (106). The notion that there is no permanence in life is almost like a wake up call for Gilgamesh and for humanity. We live today; we may not tomorrow so do what you can while you can so that you can make an impact on the world. We all want to leave something behind; to outlive us all.

Gilgamesh’s journey stems from a fear that most mortals posses- the fear of death. Utnapishtim’s response to his search for immortality is “There is no permanence” (106). Gilgamesh presents his question with a painful recollection of Enkidu and all that he has endured on account of his fear of death. Hearing that there is no permanence is probably not what he expected, yet it is the vital for Gilgamesh and all those who come after him. We will not live forever, thus we must live our lives fully and justly while we are on this earth. When Gilgamesh sees Utnapishtim he realizes that Utnapishtim is not much different than himself. “I look at you now, Utnapishtim, and your appearance is no different from mine; there is nothing strange in your features. I thought I should find you like a hero prepared for battle, but you lie here taking your ease on your back. Tell me truly, how it is that you came to enter the company of the gods and to possess everlasting life?” (107). Gilgamesh is surprised to see that eternal life does not look nearly as lavish as he thought. Utnapishtim goes on to tell Gilgamesh the story of the flood and how he was granted eternal life. It is clear that to live forever, thus outliving your family and friends is not a very happy life. It is lonely. Gilgamesh is so scared to die that he does not realize he is seeking to live forever, which is not all that pleasant. He resists death just as man resists change. Change is scary and mysterious. Gilgamesh’s acceptance of death is like man’s acceptance of change. Fear can work together with acceptance to bring peace of mind in knowing that change will happen, we cannot control it, but we can control how we act in handling it.

Immortality comes in ways we do not understand. Gilgamesh wanted to live forever, and although he physically dies, he lives on through his epic. Each time a person reads Gilgamesh’s story he breathes life into Gilgamesh’s memory. Likewise we live on through our legacy and deeds. What we do while we are alive is what matters, thus people live active lives in an ephemeral world. The only way to be remembered is to do something worth remembering, whether it is influences many people, or only one; we need to be active in our life to live on in the lives of those who come after us. Gilgamesh is able to deal with Enkidu’s passing by trying to find the secret of immortality, and although he does not necessarily find it as he expected, he continues the journey because the love he has for Enkidu will never die. “…my friend who was very dear to me and endured dangers beside me, Enkidu, my brother whom I loved, the end of mortality has overtaken him. I wept for him seven days and nights till the worm fastened on him. Because of my brother I am afraid of death; because of my brother I stray through the wilderness” (106) Love lives in Gilgamesh for and from Enkidu allowing him to pick up and continue the journey. Love is the only thing that gives eternal life. It brings life meaning for to love or to be loved is the ‘greatest thing you will ever learn’. Love comes from and lives in the heart. Once it is there it never leaves. Seasons change and situations change, but the love remains constant.


Nothing will last forever, so we try to live out our days knowing that it could be our last. I recently went on a retreat with my youth group. I was a little weary in going since many of my friends would not be going since they are now in college. I was angry at the fact that they were older and things were going to be different. Rather than hold on to my pessimistic thoughts I accepted that they would not be with me physically, but our memories from past years are always with me. Over the weekend I would think of them every once in a while and embraced being one of the ‘older girls’ that I used to admire so when I was younger. Change most often freaks me out at first, but with acceptance of change comes a much more pleasant experience. We enjoy what we have while we have it, and mourn losses, but only to know that the time comes for everything. Life is an ever-changing array of moments both good and bad all the while never staying the same. One sees impermanence every day. Jobs change, people move, we adjust. People die, we mourn the loss while remembering the life and hold onto memories.

Thinking About the Hero

What is a hero? One may say a hero is a man who is strong and tough; another may say someone who is brave and passionate. Is either wrong? It is hard to say, each person has his own vision of a hero. A finite definition is hard to come across. In usual circumstances a hero is someone whom one can look up to. Heroes’ posses the qualities we wish we had. They are able to endure things we feel we could not, and for that we revere them. In works such as The Odyssey and Star Wars the protagonists are considered heroes; however that does not mean that all heroes are villain fighting men. A hero does for others, selflessly for the common good. Odysseus is as much a hero as my mother. Although she does not battle live demons or face overwhelming obstacles of climate or travel, she does give of herself willingly and selflessly each and every day. A hero behaves in a positive and helpful manner.

Typically a hero goes through a cycle of hardships and triumphs. It begins with the departure towards adventure and ends with the return home. As this cycle used in literature and media works with heroes it has shaped our personal views of heroes also. This has much to do with the lack of recognition of heroines, since such a cycle of events was rarely fit for a woman. It is common for one to stereotype a hero. As mentioned before, each person has his own view of a hero. Usually when heroes are portrayed in stories, movies, or even the news, they are men. This does not mean that a woman cannot be considered a hero. A woman can posses the characteristics of a hero, the selflessness and will to do good, just as well as a man. Heroism is about how one acts, not ones sex. Heroes stand for what they believe, not allowing the influence of others to sway them. Due to the fact that our culture has been slow in embracing equality for women, the heroine is often overlooked. We learn from the past. In our history the woman’s job was to care for the house and children. No one saw these ‘unimportant’ tasks as heroic, thus the heroes of history are mainly the men who fought for our country. To break away from this pattern has taken many years, and still we are far from truly recognizing the heroines of our time.

Heroes are viewed as a cut above the rest. Many people have qualities of a hero, perseverance, confidence, or responsibility, but not all people but those qualities to work for the good of others. Heroes are willing to risk going against the common opinion, doing what they think is right for the common good.

To understand what purpose heroes serve to humans, think first about a world without heroes. If no person went beyond the call of duty, fought for others, putting himself at risk, what would we have to strive for? Reaching goals is an important part of life. Many people need inspiration to do so and a hero is someone he can look up to for guidance and hope. For some people, heroes make the impossible, possible. For others it is a source of strength to know there is someone out there doing good for others.
Bertold Brecht said, "Unhappy the land that needs heroes." Although having a source of inspiration in a hero is good, relying on them is not. People who cannot learn to act for themselves do not get to experience a full and ‘happy’ life. An important aspect of growing as a person and being a prosperous nation is learning and growing from mistakes. We learn nothing if we walk solely in the footprints of someone else.