Oedipus The Unfortunate

     As I read Oedipus, the idea of destiny as unchangeable jumps out at me. No matter what actions are taken, the prophecy laid out for him reigns true. After the news that the boy would kill Laius, the messenger sends him far far away rather than killing the young boy, attempting to give him a second chance at life. Despite this effort, both aspects of the prophecy occur; first Oedipus kills his true father, and then he realizes that he has been sleeping with his mother. Although our own lives (hopefully) aren't nearly as dramatic, I began to wonder if we truly control the outcome of our story. Sure we make our own choices, but are these choices directed by some outside force? Is Oedipus really a bad person who killed his father, or is he simply a victim of fate? For the sake of Oedipus, I believe his narrative is predetermined, as all actions taken to try and divert fate fail. In my own life however, I think I have my own personal narrative, determined by how I choose to live my life. The closest thing to destiny in my mind is the start we are given in life, as we have no active choice in it. We don't get to decide if we grow up rich, or if we grow up in a single-parent household, or even what language we speak. The start we are given is determined by outside forces, but what we decide to do with it is completely up to us. This is actually something that ties into my college essay a little bit, as I realized the importance of living every day to its fullest. I used to spend all spare time gaming, until I asked myself, "what am I really doing here"? I was getting temporary fulfillment, but nothing for the long term. Our lives aren't controlled like Oedipus', and so the choices we make determine what life we want to live.