Over the course of eternity, Sisyphus’s boulder will imperceptibly wear down, so that over time, the punishment will become subtly easier until it is trivial. At the same time, Sysphus will become stronger as his muscles are stressed and respond by growing. Our own boulders have similar characteristics.
As we repeat the same task it becomes an effortless habit or we find better ways to solve it.
While we are getting stronger, our son’s hand-eye co-ordination will improve, and our daughter will become less fussy (hopefully), and the boulder will become dust.
Sisyphus’s true punishment was that pushing the boulder up a hill served no external purpose. It is easy to focus on the messy floor, and forget the sound of pure joy my son made when he tried his first raspberry. Or the first time he pointed at some food he was enjoying to communicate that he wanted more.
Or even just the cheeky smile on his face when he throws his food on the floor, then looks down with pride at his achievement.
Or more important than all of that, that this is the food he needs to grow. One day we may even look back and miss his high chair days. I imagine this will be around the time when he becomes a fussy pre-schooler.
Jeremy is the co-founder of the independent publishing house Leabrook Press and author of the books Graduates’ Guide to Work and Why Do I Lose Trading Forex? He also writes the blog Compounding Time which explores how we can best spend our time, now and into the future. After completing his tertiary education in mechanical engineering and commerce, Jeremy spent a decade in full-time supply chain roles across three diverse industries before deciding to refocus. He is now a father, publisher and part-time member of the work force. He lives in Adelaide, Australia, with his wife and two young children.
