What I could have been?
Hauser
Registrant
In 1801, a French mathematician and physicist name Joseph Fourier, was inspecting the schools of his province. Fourier met an 11 year old boy whose remarkable intellect and passion for oriental languages had already earned him the admiring attention of scholars. Fourier invited him home for a chat. The boy looked upon and was FACSINATED by Fouriers collection of Egyptian artifacts, collected during the Napoleonic expedition where he had been responsible for cataloging the astronomical monuments of that ancient civilization. The hieroglyphic inscriptions (the eyeballs, wavy lines, beetles, bumblebees, birds, etc.) roused the boys sense of wonder!
But what do they mean? asked the boy. Nobody knows, was Fouriers reply.
The boys name was Jean Francios Champollion. FIRED by the mystery of the language that no one else could read, that 11 year old boy set a goal, he became a superb linguist and PASSIONATELY immersed himself in ancient Egyptian writing. At that time, France was flooded with Egyptian artifacts, stolen by Napoleon and later made available to Western Scholars. The description of the expedition was published, and devoured by the young Champollion.
As an adult, Champollion came upon the Rosetta Stone, which was a slab or rock that was uncovered from an ancient temple that seemed to clearly have the same message in three different writings: In hieroglyphics at the top, in a kind of cursive hieroglyphic called demotic in the middle, and , the key to his decipherment, Greek at the bottom.
By setting a goal and having a dream, Champollian, who was fluent in Greek, was able to translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics!! In retrospect it sounds almost easy, but it had taken many centuries, and the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, to be figured out. What a joy it must have been to have opened this one-way communication channel with another civilization, to permit a culture that had been mute for a millennia to speak of its history, magic, medicine, religion, politics and philosophy!
Whats my point to this? Well, its a good thing Joseph Fourier wasnt a pedophile, because instead of being a mentor and someone that Champollion admired, he could have destroyed his dreams and ambitions like MINE were destroyed when I was a boy. Also, where was MY mentor? Why did no one show ME something that awed and inspired me to set a goal and achieve it? Why have I done nothing? What the fuck is wrong with me?
But what do they mean? asked the boy. Nobody knows, was Fouriers reply.
The boys name was Jean Francios Champollion. FIRED by the mystery of the language that no one else could read, that 11 year old boy set a goal, he became a superb linguist and PASSIONATELY immersed himself in ancient Egyptian writing. At that time, France was flooded with Egyptian artifacts, stolen by Napoleon and later made available to Western Scholars. The description of the expedition was published, and devoured by the young Champollion.
As an adult, Champollion came upon the Rosetta Stone, which was a slab or rock that was uncovered from an ancient temple that seemed to clearly have the same message in three different writings: In hieroglyphics at the top, in a kind of cursive hieroglyphic called demotic in the middle, and , the key to his decipherment, Greek at the bottom.
By setting a goal and having a dream, Champollian, who was fluent in Greek, was able to translate Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics!! In retrospect it sounds almost easy, but it had taken many centuries, and the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, to be figured out. What a joy it must have been to have opened this one-way communication channel with another civilization, to permit a culture that had been mute for a millennia to speak of its history, magic, medicine, religion, politics and philosophy!
Whats my point to this? Well, its a good thing Joseph Fourier wasnt a pedophile, because instead of being a mentor and someone that Champollion admired, he could have destroyed his dreams and ambitions like MINE were destroyed when I was a boy. Also, where was MY mentor? Why did no one show ME something that awed and inspired me to set a goal and achieve it? Why have I done nothing? What the fuck is wrong with me?
