Pygmalion & Galatea — David Stevens

The tale of Pygmalion and Galatea is one of love, but it does not begin that way. Pygmalion, so the myth goes, worked as a sculptor on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. After one too many prostitutes, he averred never to pursue women again; thus declared, he redoubled his efforts as a sculptor. Ironically, his next sculpture was the rapturously beautiful Galatea, a marble maiden without the flaws of flesh-and-blood women. Pygmalion, of course, fell head-over-heels in love with the statue, talking to it all day and bringing it gifts. The goddess Aphrodite observed Pygmalion’s attachment. After the sculptor sacrificed a bull in Aphrodite’s temple, she rewarded him by breathing life into Galatea. Pygmalion practically burst with joy; the two were soon wed, and they lived happily into the ages.

“The Myth of Pygmalion and Galatea.” Greek Myths & Greek Mythology. Web. 14 Oct. 2014. http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-of-pygmalion-and-galatea/

Whom would I bring to life? This question plagued me for longer than it should have. On perusing my classmates’ blog posts, I discovered The Doctor—of Doctor Who fame—to be taken, so I have chosen a different doctor: Gregory House, M.D. For those not familiar with the series, House is an opiate-abusing, no-respect-giving, limp-having, patient-loathing physician—but he’s a genius. With his sharp intellect and knack for seeing what others don’t, Dr. House solves the most bizarre, rare and severe medical cases he can find. In fact, House strongly resembles a twenty-first–century Sherlock Holmes transplanted into a New Jersey hospital. Like the original, House comes complete with a drug habit, a predilection for choosing the most complicated cases, a surly attitude and a loyal lackey—this time known as Dr. Wilson, instead of Dr. Watson. If realized, House could tackle some of our greatest medical dilemmas, leading to new advances and better lives.