A heck of a way to make a living

Do ever feel confronted by thankless and futile tasks? Every day, you say. Then you’re in good company. Reach back into your brain to the time you learned about Greek mythology and think of Sisyphus.

King Sisyphus (as was) was a clever, but deceitful and greedy man. He was also very fond of killing people. Zeus would have none of this. As his punishment, Sisyphus was forced to roll a boulder up a steep hill. His mission: to get the boulder to the top of the mountain. Then he could rest. Only the boulder was enchanted. Each time the boulder would near the top of the mountain, Sisyphus would lose his grip and the boulder would roll to the bottom of the mountain. I know. You’ve had those days, too.

Imagine my surprise as I was cycling down the greenway next to the Hudson River when I bumped into this.

Sisyphus Stones

There must be a couple hundred thin-spired piles of rocks that constitute the Sisyphus Stones. They weren’t there the last time I rode past this place that is just beneath the shadow of the George Washington Bridge. I honestly can’t see how they stand on each other without the help of super glue. Yet, anyone who cites Rumi in his explanation of the stones is unlikely to rely on superglue to create art.

The artists message to the viewer

Curious, I did a search and found that the New York Times had found this place before I did. To learn more about the artist, click here.

By all means, give Sisyphus a visit, if you can.

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