Brenda and I finally managed to see The Odyssey before it left theaters. The film immediately reminded me of my own investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew. Some have pointed out the striking parallels between my search for my father and the legendary journeys of Odysseus and his son, Telemachus—each an odyssey driven by the need for answers and peace. This connection inspired me to reflect on the wise words of our Episcopal priest at the time, Father Dana Lockhart, whom I quote in my book:
“When you think about the ‘Odyssey,’ many people sailed back from Troy. It was Odysseus who took two decades, hopping from island to island. But that was his fate. And he only had to get from Turkey back to Greece.
“But you,” Father Dana said, “had to travel all over the U.S. and get to Vietnam and back. And so, your odyssey has taken you a lot longer, farther, and a lot deeper than it would have been had you been given a different quest. But you weren’t. And at some point, you could probably say, well, I could have made a different decision. I could have come to terms with my father’s death in a different way. But then you wouldn’t be you.”
Father Dana asked, “It’s a paradox, right? The qualities that make you, you, and that make your wife love you, make you successful, and make you a person everyone knows, are intricately linked with the same qualities that have driven you on this quest. And whereas other people would have been satisfied with less energy, and simpler answers, you weren’t. And there’s no way that you could make yourself someone you’re not without totally changing who you are. And I think, this is a quest you didn’t choose. But you’re on it. And it’s a lot like the ‘Odyssey,’ because who got left behind? Odysseus’ wife and his son. And it should be no surprise that marriage and family are sources of pain as you take this quest. But I don’t think you have any more choice in the matter than Odysseus did.”
James B. Wells 