It's always good to take a break during this war in Ukraine. Sitting on the bench in the square, feeding the birds...
Today's guest: ARAN
Edson Aran is a writer, cartoonist, screenwriter and journalist. Depending on the day, it's all at the same time. Historian at @MarchaHist. Author of "Untold Stories of Brazilian Literature".
Awards and commendations can be sent to edsonaran@gmail.com
SOPHOCLES AND HIS PARENTS
Edson Aran
Playwright Sophocles was happily strolling when he saw his mother, Mrs. Sophocla, and his father, Mr. Sofoclo, at the door of his house in Athens.
"Mother... father... how joyful to see you both in Athens! What is the big news from Greece’s countryside?"
He had barely finished the sentence when his mother hit him on the head with her purse. At that time (496 BC), purses were made of marble, so it hurt a lot.
"Mother... what is this?" moaned the playwright.
"You still ask, boy? We came to Athens just to see your new play..."
"That obscenity!" said the father. "What are we going to tell the neighbors? Shall we lie and say that you were born in Persia and that you are adopted?"
Sophocles understood the reason for the confusion, but he tried to explain himself.
"Father, mother... my play 'Oedipus Rex' was nominated for the Greek Tragedy Award of the Year! The line at the box office stretches from the Acropolis to the Oracle of Delphi."
"It's still inappropriate!" replied the father.
And the mother added, "We raise a son hoping that he will become an Achilles, a Theseus, a Leonidas... and what does he do? He writes such things..."
"It's not like that... look, mother, theater needs an audience. We must make some concessions..."
"Euripides only writes about Trojan women breaking nervous," retorted Mr. Sofoclo. "He doesn't involve mother and son!"
"A good boy is Socrates," added Mrs. Sophocla. "He's the one! He spends all day explaining the essence of things to the boys..."
"Socrates, mother?! Really?!" Sophocles impatiently said. "The guy has just been sentenced to drink hemlock! Give me a break. The truth is that you don't support anything I do. That's the problem!"
"People are malicious, my son, you know," complained the mother. "What will they say about me after your play? Helen returned to Menelaus a hundred years ago and they still speak ill of her!"
Mr. Sofoclo decided to end the discussion:
"Well, the thing is: since you want to write such things, we'll cut your allowance, okay? From this month on, we won't send a single drachma to your account."
The playwright made a fuss:
"Oh, come on, Dad... don't do that, theater doesn't pay..."
"That's your problem. Go after a golden fleece, fend for yourself..." said the father.
"Goodbye, my son. And only show up at Christmas if you change your ways, got it?" added the mother.
Sophocles was about to say that Christmas didn't even exist yet, but he had more pressing problems. He was living in a fratocracy - part frat house, part Plato's Republic – and the philosopher only thought about money. The only way was to do stand-up comedy in the Agora until he could get some money.
"I must have angered the gods," he thought.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Sophocla and Mr. Sofoclo were waiting for the bus.
"Look, may Zeus forgive me, but this is all your fault, Sophocla!" said the husband. "I told you to wean the boy earlier. But did you listen? No, did you? You kept breastfeeding him until he was ten. This is the result!"
"Oh, shut up, Sofoclo, do you know how much powdered milk costs in the Peloponnese?!"
13 bumper stickers for existentialist truck drivers
1. 6 INFLATED TIRES, 1 EMPTY LIFE
2. HAPPY WAS ADAM WHO NEVER READ KIERKEGAARD
3. HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE HONKING ON MY REAR
4. YOU TAKE NOTHING FROM LIFE, ONLY AN EXISTENCE DEVOID OF MEANING
5. IN THE CURVES OF YOUR BODY I ROLLED OVER MY ESSENCE
6. LIFE IS IRRATIONAL AND I WILL NOT PAY TOLL
7. DO NOT KNOW WHO I AM OR WHERE I AM GOING, MY GPS IS BROKEN
8. LIFE HAS NO MEANING, BUT I DRIVE SINGING
9. MY FATE IS TO SUFFER, BUT I STILL HAVE MY MARXIST ENGAGEMENT
10. MAN IS CONDEMNED TO BE FREE, BUT RESPECT THEROAD SIGNS
11. IF GOD DOES NOT EXIST, EVERYTHING IS PERMITTED — LES TO DRIVE AGAINST THE ROAD
12. LIFE IS AN EMPTY EXPERIENCE: DO NOT HONK OR I STOP
13. HEIDEGGER, BEAUTY! I AM CAMUS FOR YOU!
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Thank you for your attention.
Till next week!
Amorim
www.linktr.ee/amorimcartoons
Thanks, dude!