In
the beginning, women, children of the earth, and men, children of the sun, were
created with one body, four arms, four legs, and one head. On this one head
were the two faces of an inseparable duo. This one body of the two mates
contained one shared soul. However, the philosopher Plato believed that people
became too strong in this form. They became extremely prideful beings and
threatened the Gods and their power, by attempting to conquer them. The Gods
considered destroying them with lightning, very similar to how they destroyed
the Titans, but later decided against it- as the Gods still absolutely, and
selfishly might I add, adored the gifts these humans bestowed upon them. So
Zeus, being the brilliant problem solver he is, decided to split the beings in
half as punishment- into two heads, two arms and two legs each, two separate
bodies, and two separate souls. These two separate bodies would then wander the
Earth in search of their other half. It is believed most couldn’t survive. They
refused to socialize, refused to move, and even refused to eat. They felt as if
something was missing, but the inability to find and make whole the unaccounted
for drove them crazy. Thus, coins the term… Soulmates.
In a world that thrives off of the
idea of finding the eternal, it is kind of hard to ignore a story like this. We
believe our soulmates are those whose hands fit into ours “like a missing
puzzle piece”, or someone who picks up what we lack, or even someone who will
love us unconditionally. While those aren’t wrong, I don’t believe it is the
whole truth, either. I believe a soulmate is someone who uncovers a piece of
you that not even your mother knew existed. I believe a soulmate can be someone
who may not necessarily be your forever, but can be your fondest memory or even
the most painful. What I mean by this is, a soulmate encourages spiritual,
emotional, and mental growth. Not the stereotypical verbal affirmations like,
“You can do this!” or “I think you’re great”... But the nitty gritty
experiences. The ones that force you to take a step back and look at yourself
through a brutally realistic lens and come to terms with aspects about yourself
you purposefully neglect or hide away from others. We are able to uncover the
truth because they reflect who we are. They reflect our strengths, our
weaknesses, and our secrets. They are our spiritual mirror without an identical
physical countenance.
The only bummer is, some of us never
find our soulmate. And if we do, we add layers of the unbreakable on top of our
truths. We finds ways to run away from our growth because it isn’t always the
most pleasant. And others of us forge the idea of our soulmate, forcing our way
into one body, four arms, four legs, and one soul.
24 comments:
This was really interesting! It made me take a step back and really think about the story of the gods spliting the humans and it really fascinated me. I think this piece was really creative and I really enjoyed your view on soulmates! Great job!
I loved this piece! It was amazing I love the narrative and I have heard this myth too so I loved what you did to it. You gave your own personal insight that I can see and agree with. Amazing piece!
I thoroughly enjoyed your piece as it offered this super intriguing story and a unique interpretation of what soulmates are in your eyes. And in fact I also agree that we humans tend to and should surround themselves with people that mirror us and bring out certain aspects and characteristics that live within us. Our soulmates along with us to them should always encourage and push the other to be better and grow together but more importantly as individuals. Great job with including this reference to mythology to prove and support your point.
I really enjoyed this piece. I remember when we were talking about the idea of soul mates in class. I had never heard of this myth before, but I see even more clearly and understand what you were explaining to me. I am amazed the way you took this myth of "soul mates" and made it realistic. What it may really be to have a soul mate and a relationship that helps you grow and develop. I've never thought of it this way. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece.
I never really thought about it this way. The beginning of your piece telling the story of the Greek Gods gave me a new perspective on the definition of soulmates. They won't necessarily be in your life until the day you die, but they will be someone who uncovers and helps you acknowledge and accept the hidden truths about yourself, and actually like them. So thank you for allowing me to gain newly recognition of the term soulmates. Your story somehow reminded me of one of your many other artistic abilities, drawing. As I was reading the beginning portion of Greek Gods I was imagining the people you drew doing the actions and being in the story you told. So cool Imani.
I was totally entertained by the way you put your opinion on this mythical topic. I personally like the Greek Gods and all of stories and the fact that the word, "soulmates" is so popular and you made it rather interesting. Great job.
Imani, I loved this piece! I had previously heard of the mythological tale before, however your commentary on what you define as a soulmate was very insightful. It made me consider how I view love and how the world soulmate gets used incorrectly. I agree that those who push us out of our comfort zone, often times, inspire the most uncomfortable, but necessary lessons in order for us to grow. Thank you for this well-phrased and brilliant piece!
Kayla Rangel P.6
I can tell you are very mature in your understanding of such deep concepts, it's a shame that most people today don't quite seek out a soulmate or have that interest in mind, nonetheless great post!
I really found this story interesting. I liked how you first introduced soulmates through the story of the Gods then you expressed the many ways people are soulmates. I agree with you and like how you included the many ways people are soulmates.
This piece really opened my eyes in viewing the word "soulmates". It was very interesting how you portrayed the Greek Gods into your work. giving back round on the quest to finding your soulmate. I liked how you illustrated your own beliefs and opinion. Thanks for giving me something to think about Imani.
It's always nice to learn about obscure myths and this is no exception. Perhaps this wasn't your main focus, but I can't stop thinking about what a dude with twice the arms, legs, and faces would look like. I'm not sure I can look at the word "soulmate" anymore without picturing some monstrous creature.
This was a really interesting piece, I like the mythical spin you added in there. I was a great point to bring up. Also I really liked how you added your own personal opinions and in that sense beliefs about halfway through.
I found this piece very unique and unlike any other. Very good job! I love how this month we did allusions and we learned all about greek mythology and how it would help out to understand this piece. I love your conclusion as well about how people do find their soulmates but we find ways to run away from it
This so far has been my favorite piece on the blog. The way you described soulmates was very personal and gave me a warm feeling inside. I loved that you made a word everyone recognizes more meaningful and emotional than it already was.
The idea of soulmates has always interested me. I love how you ended it with the fact that not everyone finds their soulmate. This was very interesting to read and I love how you incorporated Greek mythology into it. I love how you added your personal opinions on the subject and how passionate you seem about it. Great job!
This is one of the pieces i truly love Imani. The beginning was a shortened up tale of a descripful greek tale, and the middle and end was what society thought and what you truly though. This piece was just amazing, i cant describe it any other way.
Personally, I love the tales of the Greek Gods so I enjoyed how you added your own commentary to the tale. Great story!
Your piece is so different then others I have read. It was very great because of the uniqueness! While reading your piece it just made me constantly pause and just think about what you have said. Great Work!
This was beautiful because it really opened my eyes to more than the stereotypical definition of a "soulmate" but the possibility of that person being much more. The reference to the gods was fascinating and got my attention with the story but you kept my attention with your thoughts.
This piece very much pertains to those who are desperate for love. A lot of young people are obsessed with the idea of love but are not willing to take the extra step out of their comfort zone to find that special someone they have been looking for. Thanks to you, I now have a different outlook of love and what it truly stands for.
Imani, I loved this piece so much! I genuinely valued the realness of this piece, and how you compare love nowadays to that of Greek gods. I definitely agree with that statement, and I find your view on soulmates very enlightening and realistic, especially when you wrote that not everyone finds their soulmate.
I really enjoyed this piece. The way you described soulmates changed my perspective on how I viewed it and I also like the Greek Allusions you used. Great job Imani!
I very much enjoyed your retelling and interpretation of this myth. Your writing has a hopeful and encouraging tone that really helps those who have maybe given up looking for a "soul-mate", your description of what a soulmate should be also warns of superficial relationships. Overall great analysis of an abstract idea.
this was incredibly beautiful, you took this age old saying and made it into a story i for one have never heard or even fathomed before. you created a divine visual and an exceedingly entertaining piece to read. a great outlook that i will cherish and find so true.
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