Deals with the Devil
This particular post has a soundtrack. And if you want the lyrics they’re here.
One of my favorite pieces of folklore is the crossroads demon. I actually have this piece of artwork up on my wall in my office. I bought this from the artist at a punk flea market where he explained that he dreamed all of his art and then woke up and drew these into his folklore encyclopedia.
Here’s the text from my piece:
Crossroads Demon
Most commonly found in the American deep south along ley lines of power, these demons delight in swindling humans out of their souls in exchange for fleeting gifts of fortune, fame, and talent. When the contract is up the hounds of hell will be released to collect the payment, being one’s life and very soul. ~ K Von Keeffer
He has a whole collection of stuff at his website - and interestingly enough - he’s redrawn the demon since I bought my version from him to make it more demonic/unnatural and less…evil Anglo? I do kinda like the new one better I think.
I don’t remember if my first “deal with the devil” experience was Faust or Robert Johnson but the idea of a bargain for power, pleasure, and wealth at the cost of one’s soul has always been an instructive mythical meme for me. To strive and seek something beyond one’s self is part of the nobility of humanity. To make yourself more than is an aspiration that I think we should all honor and recognize. But like so much in this world you can go too far.
What is the cost of being great? Your soul? Your health? Your family? Your happiness?
I had one of those moms that always told me “money doesn’t buy happiness.” I can hear her voice in my head when I say that. But, at the same time, I recognized that this was coming from a place of privilege. You can toss platitudes like that around when you’ve never starved or wanted for a roof over your head. And I certainly coveted sometimes so it maybe didn’t sink in entirely.
I’ve taken a slightly different tack with Squirt. We talk about how money brings options. So to say it a different way, money doesn’t buy happiness but it sure as hell increases your optionality and your ability to be happy. It’s hard to be happy if you’re starving or shivering in the cold. Pragmatism is just good sense sometimes.
And this is one of the tensions at the heart of being human. This is why I love the crossroads demon. You have what you have, you have what you want, and the question is always what are you willing to lose to get what you want? There is always a cost. How much to pay is an intensely personal choice but something that I don’t think we focus on enough.
I have over 600 books on my to-read shelf. And yet I bought three different books, not even on that list, in the past week. These will probably get read first because I am nothing if not flighty with my reading choices. But barring some really interesting innovations in human health I will die with books I wanted to read that I never got to. I am choosing which books to leave unread every time I sit down with a new one.
I choose to have a stressful job that is not the most enjoyable in the world because of the money I can make. But, at the same time, I have chosen not to make even more money by travelling constantly and sacrificing my time with my family and my chance to watch Squirt grow up. I’m choosing to write this post right now rather than play a game or read a book or do the dishes.
Every day, every hour, we are sitting at a crossroads and making a choice. We’re selling our souls minute by minute, I guess. What’s scary is that we don’t think about the deal we’re making. Cat’s in the Cradle, right? Time for another song…
That proverbial fork in the road isn’t something you choose once, it’s a never-ending decision on the journey we call life. And just like everyone in the stories at the crossroads, we never take the time to think about the cost when we’re signing over our souls…
So what’s your soul made of anyways?
Squirt Says…
It’s always a choice between money or happiness. No matter what you do it is always a choice. The thing that’s ironic is people who aren’t rich usually get rich by doing what they love. Their passion. A way to share that passion with another.
Dad Responds…
Hmmm, I think we disagree on people usually getting rich doing what they love. I will agree that most folks who become rich have passion driving them but rich folks are not necessarily more happy. After a certain point, well before the truly “rich” label is reached, happiness doesn’t correlate anymore.