Trixie

What Makes Me Unique?

A Once in a Lifetime Experience

In book three of The Odyssey, Athena is greeted warmly while the golden cup is poured and shared with the guests first. This is an important custom, much like my family’s customs. My family often has dinner with friends or family, both at our home or their home. If we are the guests in another person’s home, we always bring a little gift as a thank you to the host or hostess. Usually it is a small housewarming gift or a lot of the times a nice bottle of wine. But, if we are the hosts, my house is usually quite busy the morning before. The sound of the vacuum is always running (my golden retriever sheds… a lot) and the delicious cooking aroma spreads until it fills the entire house. It is important to my family, when cooking, to make a dish we know our guests will enjoy. When the guests arrive they are greeted immediately and are entertained (often while having cocktails and starting off with appetizers). When all of the food is ready, the guests will dish their plates and sit down at the dining room table. A major custom is that we always make to serve our guests before serving ourselves. Most of the time there are little party favors/goodies placed in front of each person’s plate. After a delicious meal at the table, there is more than likely some type of scrumptious dessert to finish off the evening. After much socializing with the guests, at some point they say goodbye, thank you, and then leave. These traditional hospitality customs of my family are much like the customs in The Odyssey.

As I have learned from Doc’s many ancient civilization honors lectures, during the place and time period of the Odyssey, the custom was that if you went to a major city to eat your meal with the nobles (or highly respected/ royalty) you must tell a story. The better the story, the better you are treated and the more likely you are to be invited back. In book one of the Odyssey, Athena leaves Olympus and travels to Ithaca where the first person to greet her is Prince Telemachus. He greeted her with the words, “Greetings, stranger! Here in our house you’ll find a royal welcome. Have supper first, then tell us what you need.” She is treated with great respect and she eats her supper with the Prince and his suitors, before telling him her reason for coming. Then she starts her story off by saying he is Mentes, lord of the Taphian men, and her father is Anchialus. Athena informs Prince Telemachus about the news of the great Odysseus. She says, “And now I’ve come – and why? I heard that he was back…your father, that is. But no, the gods thwart his passage. Yet I tell you great Odysseus is not dead. He’s still alive, somewhere in this wide world, held captive out at sea on a wave-washed island, and hard men, savages, somehow hold him back against his will.” At first Prince Telemachus replies with the fact that he is not so sure Odysseus is even his father, but in the end, Athena convinces him to take her word and become a man. This requires him to travel out over seas on a mission, in search for his father, Odysseus!

This past spring break, my family had planned a trip to the Bahamas over a year ahead of time. Then suddenly during the winter before my vacation, I was informed I was expected to attend a junior Olympic volleyball qualifier in Spokane, Washington. I was torn because I could not decide weather to spend the two weeks with my family or to show my great commitment to my team by going to Spokane. The rest of my family did not plan to cancel their vacation to the Bahamas, and said they would love for me to go with them, but if my team was important enough to me, then they would understand if I chose to fly to Spokane with my teammates. I ended up calling my grandmother explaining the situation. But instead of a small piece of advice, she ended up meeting me in Spokane, and then flying with me to the Bahamas when the tournament ended.

My grandmother loves to cheer. She was head cheerleader in high school and she used to teach my sister and I all of her old cheers when we were little. So, the score is 24-24, and I am eagerly waiting at the net for the referee to blow the whistle, my friend and setter, Morgan, taps me on the shoulder and says, “Look at your grandma. She is actually the cutest funniest person ever.” “Oh gosh,” are the only two words that I can say back. I turn my head to see that she jumping up and down with her legs crossed, and her fingers crossed on both hands. She is has also started all the parents on a new cheer. All my friends are dying, I am dying, and my coaches are dying. Then, we push two points and win the match. All the parents rush out on to the court. My grandma is still jumping up and down, but this time it is because of excitement instead of being nervous. I realized no matter how much of a pain it is for her, my grandma will always be there for me. She will always find a way to support me weather it has to do with volleyball or not, I can always count on her to be there!

Yesterday was the last home game of this 2007 high school volleyball season. It started by my coach, Erin, giving a touching speech to our only senior, Spencer, where both she and Erin started crying. Erin would choke on her words and tears were flowing out of Spencer’s eyes. We flooded her with flowers and gifts to show our appreciation for all she has done to make this season so great! Then, the referee blew the whistle and the game began. I was confident that we could win, but we ended up losing by about four points. The second game, we had lost our confidence and let down a little bit. But, it was still moderately close. The third game, everyone expected Notre Dame Academy to have a good win and finish the match. But, we believed in ourselves and in each other, and kept a small lead for most of the game. Then, suddenly the game was tied at 21 – 21 and Notre Dame had they’re best server up. But, we fought for each play, and took each point one at a time, to end up winning the game 25 – 21. The fourth game, was close and we put in our best effort, but Notre Dame sneaked yet another game, causing them to win the match. Even though we did not win the match, this game gave us great confidence and a great mental attitude to follow, when entering playoffs next week.