The musical Hadestown tells the story of the young couple Eurydice and Orpheus. Through a variety of circumstances, Eurydice lands in Hadestown, and Orpheus makes the long, treacherous journey to rescue her. After some heartfelt pleas and argument, Orpheus convinces Hades to let them go. Hades reluctantly agrees but gives one condition. Orpheus must lead them out without looking back. If he turns back to confirm Eurydice is there, then she must stay in Hadestown forever.
Several themes run through the show, but one commentary is a mediation on the nature of love. Love can mean bringing someone to see how life can be lived in a different way and from another perspective. In many ways, the nature of school and this definition of love align. Grade 12 students are oftentimes resistant to the wellness portion of peaks advisory. They focus on the productivity of their lives, as we all do from time to time, and they question why spending time on things not worth marks or on emotional and relational discussion is useful time spent.
On Valentine’s Day, I had a fulsome group in advisory willing to commit to a different way of looking at life and of living life at school. We discussed relationship and love issues specifically, and it was atypical of academic study. For an hour, individuals highlighted different aspects of love. Emma and Noah shared views on how high school relationships proceed and grow. With energy and conviction, Maddy voiced completely distinctive perspectives. Others like Cindy, Rio, Lucas, Sophia, and many others contributed to the tug and swirl of ideas of what it means to be a teenager discovering and figuring out how love and relationships work. Even Mr. Parker poured into the milieu his thinking and thoughts. How refreshing it was to hear face-to-face a different way to live, away from chattering figures on videos and social media.
The classroom is a natural place to find the kind of love where you see things differently. If you were to walk down the hallways and sit in, you would see kids learning different ways to think, to view new and open worlds, to discover facts and information, to be fascinated, intrigued, pulled, and ignited. Learning is a kind of love you really can’t put down. Ann was in France, experiencing the novel exchange of another country, but yet, here she was on Zoom, unable to put learning down, still asking questions about how this thing worked and why this was so.
We fall prey too often to common narratives and stereotypes. If you see Tristan at a glance, you might think of him in a certain way. Perhaps unserious or reckless or prone to trouble. Yes, he easily beats down this pigeonhole with demonstrations of steady study, diligent work, and academic success. But a longer engagement with him leads you to a different path, a different life altogether. He can show you pictures of gutting a fish and boating during a storm, and you might think that sort of fits. But then there’s the video of him flying a plane. Or going to Entrepreneurship Club to speak about his drone business.
Others could easily be seen in one way too. With his restless swagger, Carson might convey he can’t stay in one place, or can’t stay focused. But there’s the alternate and determined Carson that can, will, and does. David might show up on the sleeping Instagram page all the time, but take a look at his written answers to questions, and you’ll get a different kind of David, a thoughtful, introspective and insightful David. It’s kind of cool to get these jarring experiences, but it does take a bit of time and patience to get there.
There’s an inherent fascination with what-ifs and alternate possibilities. Movies like It’s a Wonderful Life or Sliding Doors play to this idea, as characters experience a different schism, and their eyes are open to wildly new potentials. Even the seemingly small can stir perceptions anew. Sitting at the top of the stairs with Natalie, we discussed lengthy movies, and I, hopefully, persuaded her to watch the Helm’s Deep scene from Lord of the Rings. Maybe today would be a good day to ask someone to recommend a show, a song, a book, or something that pushes us out of our regular views.
Naturally, not every rejigged and different look at life will be desirable or profitable. We might see how someone else lives and say that’s definitely not for me. Nope. No way. But love doesn’t necessarily mean changing how someone thinks or acts. It might just mean offering an opportunity. Here we are, standing at the edge of this weird, uncomfortable, sideways thing. You don’t have to jump in, but take a look, and then survey and ponder and consider.
Orpheus does look back and thereby condemns Eurydice to an eternity in Hadestown. It is a tragedy after all. But the musical does end on a sprig of hope, that maybe, just maybe, things will be different the next time.
And that’s what we hope for, right? A different look, a different examination of life, and maybe, just maybe, that’s what’s going to help us grow a tiny bit more, help us be slightly stronger, and help us learn to love just a little deeper.