Icarus

Icarus was a magnificent creature. He possessed a presence that was spell binding, looks to be envied and, of course, the ability to fly. Those fortunate to share his company, even from a distance or for a fleeting moment, considered themselves to be blessed. Icarus was aware of the admiration others had for him. He understood it, welcomed it, and believed it to be well-deserved. After all, who among all mortals would not wish to be Icarus?  But, then, there was that nagging entity the sun, the star that provided Earth with the sunlight it needed to survive. Could it be greater than Icarus? Others indicated that might be the case. Icarus, alas, believed otherwise.  


The famous poem, "The Fall of Icarus, depicts the tragedy of this gifted creature who let his ego get the best of him. It was not enough for him to be admired and acclaimed by many. Rather than maintain and enhance his reputation and use his notoriety to bring fortune to those who looked up him, instead, Icarus decided to build on what he felt to be his own greatness. He flew much too close to the sun which melted his beloved wings. The result is Icarus fell unceremoniously to his death.. Ironically and sadly, his passing went largely unnoticed. Life went on, the Earth continued to spin on its axis, and people turned to others to admire.


Recently, we have seen another creature of notoriety fly too close to the sun. This time it is Brian Williams, NBC's evening sun anchor. Williams was found to have falsified stories of his earlier coverage of conflict in the Middle East and the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. The result is that he has been suspended for six months without pay. At present, the feeling is he may never return to the anchor desk. What has happened to Williams is one example of what often occurs when one places little value on what is true or places themselves above those with whom they communicate. Honest communication is nothing to be trifled with.