To Long or to Belong?

            While reading the introduction of Rob Burton’s book, Artists of the Floating World, an interesting comparison is brought up.  Longing and belonging are the focal points of the entry.  Burton refers to Greek Mythology and makes examples out of Icarus and Hestia.  Icarus, of course, was the man whose wax wings melted on his way flying towards the sun.  His story symbolizes what Burton refers to as “longing”, in that Icarus possesses this overcoming desire in which he must branch out from his vernacular environment.  Hestia, on the contrary, is much more satisfied with her customary atmosphere.  Hestia is content with her every-day living situation while Icarus starves for “more”.  What more does Icarus thirst for?  Do I share this same hunger? 

            At a time in my life I feel I may have been similar to Icarus, with the passion to search, explore, and discover, not just new places and things, but people and ideas.  With this lingering zeal I become distrait, forgetting what was most important to me.  During the time in which I was in “longing” I tended to think only of my own wants and cravings.  The thought of my expeditions having consequences was blocked out by the excitement of the voyage ahead.  I knew that this habit for discovery could possibly be damaging to myself and more importantly my family, but it took a forlorn event for me to realize that my exploration days needed to end.  This life-altering event has driven me into more of a Hestian lifestyle.  While before I needed to be everywhere at once, now there are very few places I feel that I need to be.  Much like Hestia I have found myself content within my current atmosphere.  With this being decided I do not by any means believe that this will be the way I live the rest of my life, nor do I believe that I will let the desire to “long” overcome my life as it previously has.  I feel that at this point in my life, with the goals that I have set for my family, and myself, that “belonging” is the best thing for me to do in order to guarantee future successes.  I do believe it is possible at some point for the Icarus to come out in me again, however, I do believe it will be in a much more controlled state.