BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO THE Odyssey. I’d always been a fan of mythology, but there was something about this particular story that stuck with me. For me, though, the story was a fun adventure tale with lots of scary monsters. And sure, scary monsters are great, but they aren’t enough to explain a story staying popular for thousands of years.
In 2008, I was at a book festival in Oklahoma. Sitting next to me during the book signings was a friendly, chatty author, and we soon got on the subject of mythology. In addition to talking about our favorite myths, I expressed my fascination with this crazy story I loved, The Odyssey.
“Oh, The Odyssey. It’s a great story,” he said. “But have you ever heard of the poem Ithaka by Constantine P. Cavafy? I think you would love it.”
Of course, I hadn’t heard of the poem. But once I got back to Austin, I quickly looked it up.
And read it.
And printed it out.
And read it again.
And I discovered this layer of The Odyssey that I never knew anything about. I’d been tricked in high school. This wasn’t just a story about monsters. This was a story about a hero facing new challenges, trying to save his men, failing over and over, reaching his lowest point, and still pushing on. It was never about him getting to Ithaka. It was always about the journey and how he changed while on it.
Homer’s Excellent Adventure is the story of my heart. It’s the story of me facing my own challenges, failing many times, and finally succeeding. It’s the story of every kid. It’s the story of all of us.