Battered and tired the old soldier looked wistfully to the west. They said it would be an easy war as wars go. And sure enough the enemy that wore a uniform was quickly overwhelmed. Much, however, had changed since Styro-Odysseus began his career as a common soldier.
Victories were no longer clear-cut and the peace was hard to recognize. Nobody could remember what they were fighting for? After many years of trying to win the hearts and minds of the occupied people it was time for Styro-Odysseus to return to the muddy shores of his origin.
He had his country’s thanks, but all the old soldier wanted now was the comfort of his family and familiar surroundings. His valor was now a thing of the past. It would take all of Styro-Odysseus’ remaining energy to walk the distance towards the life he most desired. His armor, shield, and standard that he once wore with pride grew heavier with each passing step. He thought often of the innocence of childhood and green fields.
Along the way, Styro-Odysseus could not help noticing that the country he had risked his life for had fallen into neglect and ruin. In places it looked as though the war had happened here. He could not understand his countrymen’s apathy? He wondered if people still cared?
Rounding a bend by a river, the returning veteran had the oddest sensation that the people had in fact been bewitched and turned into geese. That would explain the poor condition of so much he observed around him.
Meeting fellow travelers along the way Styro-Odysseus learned that much of his beloved land was in a similar condition. The ordinary man had become disillusioned by evil pundits who were masters of instilling fear and preyed upon the best intentions of the good.
Styro-Odysseus had much to think about. It seemed to him that righting the course of his own country might prove to be a greater challenge than fighting a foreign enemy. What force of arms could be used to fight the new enemy that resides within? What could inspire the people and renew the idea of a shared common purpose? While Styro-Odysseus’ mind grew cloudy…his feet kept on walking and soon he reached a familiar path.
Styro-Odysseus was home and he forgot the great weight he carried upon seeing his family. For now, he would set aside his armor and forget the duties of being a soldier for at least a little while. He would try to allow what sweetness that remained in the world to begin the healing process. The old soldier would rest and renew his energy for the next task at hand.
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 
This post is ABSOLUTELY fantastic Al! Well done for your retelling of the Illiad and Odysseus’s return home through Styro Odysseus! By using this analogy of the weary soldier returning to find everything changed you really get important messages across about the environment – and you do it in a very engaging and imaginative way! I wish you’d get a tweet button so I could ‘tweet’ this post for everyone, but I will just copy and paste the link instead! This is my fave post so far in what is a a marvellous blog!
Thank you for your comments! Of course, this post is informed by recent events as well. I think this is what also makes Homer’s classics so timely. What people felt in the ancient world are some of the same things we feel now. I have had other friends say I should jump on the social networking stuff in a bigger way. I thought I already was by writing this blog. I’m happy with the people who have found me and the comments they have left. I have no other expectations. I recently upgraded my camera’s memory card and so I’m tempted to embed video of birds singing and mundane material like that. Thanks Lynda.
I am with Lynda on this post. It moved me and I was thinking you need to get this off here and use this material for a book. I am thankful to have been able to read something so creative and relevant for free. I’m serious.
As I reply to you I have a big smile on my face! I will check out the children’s book you suggested. As for offering content for free, wasn’t that the promise of the internet?
Leslie is right! I’m loving the storytelling aspects to these characters – they should indeed be in a book! I reckon it would be an all round winner for any age group (and educational)
There was a book written that this post brought to mind for me. It is titled “Stranger in the Woods A Photographic Fantasy” by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick. It also deals with teaching about the environment through feeding wildlife in the winter. Your creation of these styro people and your unique ability to pass on information about the environment is interesting and informative.
Thank you Leslie and Lynda…you are so supportive! I’ve flirted with the book idea (self-publish or not?) but a cynical friend of mine said nobody reads anything anymore so why bother? I love books!! I might seek advice from a literary agent around here to see if she thinks there is a market for this material. This issue is one reason why I started this blog…it seemed a good compromise.
Hi Al,
Take a look at the book I mentioned above. It is a children’s book and the pictures are photos. I think theright publisher would jump at the chance. I read books all the time! My friends read books. My family reads books. There are still people who believe. This was the particular post that read like a book.
O I loved this post. What an adventure of the imagination. I agree with everyone’s ideas about book concept. Thank you for your inventiveness–and humor.
I appreciate the comment and remain amazed that organizing the trash I find at this river can provoke such a nice reaction.
Now that’s a way to describe your art–“organizing the trash”—as opposed to increasing the random chaos of littering without intentions?
[…] Oh and for more about the connecting potential of styrofoam just take the exit link to – https://artistatexit0.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/styro-odysseus/ […]