It’s Been Quite a Year

Photo by Nils 

It’s been quite a year. In fact, it’s been quite a few years now. And it looks like next year, and the following, will also be quite a year or two as well!

Congratulations. You have made it through this “Quite a Year” phenomenon. Well almost. A week or so to go, but I’m placing bets that you will indeed make it through. Hold on, it’s all going to be ok.

No doubt 2023 has been full of Herculean tasks. Those sorts of jobs that have required Herculean like efforts. Hercules of course, is the Greek and Roman demi-god  famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. I imagine that this might sound just a little bit like a Principal or a Leader. 

But why stop there with the Greek/Roman task analogy.

I wonder how many of you have also participated in these following sorts of tasks throughout the year? (I’d like to take credit for these, but I can’t. They come from a comment section on a Facebook group called P#ucked Up and Filosophical. I couldn’t help myself – they all ring true in some form or another to me!)

Icarian Tasks: Whereby you’ve undertaken a task that you know you’re going to fail in but you do it anyway in a spirit of unabandoned fun! (Icarus was known for being  excessively ambitious. “An Icarian mentality that could only lead to a crash and burn”)

Cassandrean Tasks: Whereby you’ve had to deal with people who you know won’t listen to you, even though you’ve given them accurate information – and you’ve had to watch them fumble about even though you’ve told them the solution right from the start (Cassandrea prophesied the fall of Troy, but no-one bothered to listen.)

Dionysian Tasks: Whereby you’ve worked while a bit tipsy on wine – hoping none of us have undertaken this sort of task – but no doubt there have been times when it seemed it was the only way to get through! (Dionysus was the Greek god of wine!)

Pandorean Tasks: Whereby as soon as you start, the task goes all pear-shaped with heaps of surprises jumping up from anywhere and everywhere. (Think here of Pandora’s Box and the crazy “gifts” that popped out of these.)

Gilgameshian Tasks: Whereby you went and slayed the task against all odds, but you did so with the help of an incredible colleague. (Apparently Gilgamesh and Enkiduwere great friends who fought Humbaba, a giant who guarded the sacred trees. They successfully slayed the giant!)

Odyssean Tasks: Whereby you began a task as a group, and it took a really long, long, long time … so long that in the end you were the only one left doing it.

Narcissian Tasks: Whereby you work tirelessly on something but your efforts go unnoticed by someone too smugly entranced by their own intellect.

Can you think of any others? We’d love to hear from you.

Steve