Heroing

First off: I hemmed the pants. I wore them today. They look fabulous.

Second: today in class, we watched a video about Joseph Campbell, discussing his research into mythology and specifically the HERO.

According to my notes (which I dutifully took alongside the students), the markers of a hero's journey are like so:
Hero starts off sort of immature and stupid.
Hero meets some wise person, usually a stranger, sometimes a wise animal, that exposes the necessity to take a JOURNEY. The journey is more often than not a representation of a psychological one. (What is my purpose? What am I looking for? etc.)
---The journey is sometimes voluntary but often INVOLUNTARY
Hero leaves comfort zone and crosses into the threshold of the "unknown."
Hero is tempted.
---If the hero is a HERO, then he resists. If he's a shmuck, he gives in and probably turns into a villain.
--- Consistently in the Hero story: there is no reward without trial.
Hero makes a great sacrifice for the greater good.
---Sometimes there are monsters. Monsters represent FEARS and you have to DEFEAT them.
Hero overcomes, restoring peace within turmoil, and ends the whole thing a whole lot smarter than he started.

I think this is so interesting. Because according to all these old myths, and more recent ones too like The Matrix, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.-- a hero is NOT just someone who only ever does the right thing. A hero starts out as kind of a dummy, lives some major life, learns some lessons, and comes out wiser.

Which makes me think that any reasonably reflective person could... in fact... be a hero.

Which is a nice thought.

But: it's also a rankling one, because it makes me think of some people that I would rather just dismiss as the Jar Jar Binks, the Draco Malfoy, or the guy who betrays them all in the Matrix (the one who wanted to eat the steak). But, according to allllllll these stories, a hero is simply boiled down to someone that takes a journey, and is better for it. And that is something that a lot of us go through.

And so now I'm looking at myself, looking inward like at my belly button, and thinking: "Where am I at in the hero journey?" Where did it begin? When was I stupid? When did I start taking a journey? When did I cross the threshold into the unknown? What WAS that unknown? Was it college? Was it when I went to Africa? Was it when I went to Malibu? Was it when I started grad school? Was it... all of the above? Does that mean I've been, in some way clueless, before the commencement of each one? (Yes.) Does that mean I was tempted to take the easy way out, in just about every one? (Yes.) When did I make sacrifices? When did I overcome? What are my MONSTERS that make me always, always want to turn back, and how do I DEFEAT them? When did I get to the high plain of wisdom and understanding, and how long do I get to stay there until I start the whole thing over again?

It's interesting, I think. And I honestly do think it smacks great similarity to every day life. We are ALL just like Luke Skywalker...! Except, no light sabres. Unfortunately.

And maybe this should translate to providing grace more readily to other people. Because, instead of dismissing them and feeling grumbly altogether, I can think, "Oh man, they're just beginning. They're still in the Uncle-Owen-and-Aunt-Beru-on-Tatooine-phase. They haven't even MET Obi-Wan Kenobi yet, let alone learned how to correctly wield a light sabre." Maybe, in those instances, I should just give a patient, condescending nod and say, "May the force find you soon." Haha! Okay, that would be silly. But funny to myself.

BUT: they would probably be just as justified in thinking I was still on Tatooine too. Because. I'm cycling just like everyone else.

Alright, wrapping up. Smattering of thoughts, post a long, hot day at school. But: I did think it was interesting. Where are you in the cycle?