I had a hard time picking a myth for my displaced myth. To
be honest, I had to ask a friend for help. I had no problem coming up with
displacements; but when I would alter a story, all of a sudden I would question
my details or think of a different story that might be better to displace. Then
I started to run into the problem of where does one myth stop and another
begin. And the problem of, oh, but that myth could easily be confused for that
myth. And, finally, the problem that all of a sudden they all seemed the same.
I initially tried to
pick a true displaced myth from one of the many extraordinary stories that clients
have shared with me in the seven years I’ve been doing hair – husband left her
for a man, terrible accidents and addictions, married someone she’d only known a
week, married the same woman three times, travels, children, deaths, and on and
on. But, though all the stories were similar to myths I knew, I could find none
that quite followed any myth I could think of. And that’s when I started having
a hard time telling them apart. It seems some themes run strong in the mythological world.
So I asked my friend to pick a well known myth for me and I
displaced it.
A Modern Trojan War (likenesses to Trojan War highlighted)
So. My story is about a hypothetical guy named Mike. Mike
comes from old money. He and his brother AJ are both politicians and attorneys,
trust fund babies living it up in the Yellowstone Club.
One day, about ten years ago, they decided to fly to Texas
to buy some fancy cars. They went to a Barrett-Jackson auction and both bought
beautiful Ferraris. AJ’s Ferrari was nice, but Mike’s was incredibly rare and
astoundingly expensive (Agamemnon was married to Helen's sister). AJ told Mike that it was the world’s most beautiful
car, and the reputation stuck with it when they brought it home to the
Yellowstone Club.
After they got home, Mike and AJ had to leave town for a
family funeral, their uncle had died. When they returned home to the
Yellowstone Club, they found Mike’s car had been stolen. Shortly after, one of
their friends called Mike and told him he’d seen their coworker Patrick driving
his car around town.
Mike was furious. How dare Patrick have the balls to steal
and then drive his beautiful Ferrari all over town! So Mike and AJ decided to
sue the hell out of Patrick to make him pay and get Mike’s car back.
Mike and Patrick began a court battle that was to last nine
years. Both sides lost friends who were sick of all the fighting, had friends
have to file bankruptcy after financially supporting the case, and lost their
own time and efforts. After nine years, the battle still showed no sign of
being anywhere near an end. Mike, frustrated with it all, sent an apology note
and flowers to Patrick, telling him he was throwing in the towel. Inside the
note was a plane ticket, all expenses paid trip to Hawaii. Mike wrote to
Patrick to enjoy his gift, the fight was over.
Patrick was stoked. He flew to Hawaii and partied,
celebrating his victory, finally able to relax for the first time in nine
years.
When he returned home, his beautiful house had been burned
to the ground.
When Mike and AJ burned the house down, they were going to
leave behind the car to burn as well; but in that garage, the light bouncing
off the frame, the car was just so beautiful they couldn’t leave it behind.
They drove the beautiful Ferrari home, getting stuck in a
snow storm on the way.
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