Ups, Downs and Push Onward
Self-Reflection
Ups, downs and pushing forward is how I felt I should do in this journey. Since being accepted into this program, I was so thankful with this privilege and cannot wait to start. As I started, I kind of realize that this format is so foreign to me, sometimes I contemplate giving in, and just do what I would think a normal person would do – take care of my family, go to work and come home and watch tv, then repeat the same routine again the next day. I even entertained the negative comments from some family members and friends which they kind of letting me know I should focus on work and family. Coming back to school is a hard decision, but I was encouraged by the support by my wife and not only that but by the grace of God. I had described how I have felt in my first and second blogposts: (a.) a car that needed a manual jump start by pushing and it may start and (b.) ride it like a bicycle, just lean into it and keep it balance. Therefore, I would apologize for the late posting.
From this week’s reading, “The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work,” by Joseph Campbell, has reminded me of the old folklores or stories that I was told when I was growing up back in the Islands. Most of these stories spoke of heroes/heroines that were just nobodies, but then became somebody at the end of the story. And this storytelling were the ways in which our old folks passed down values that they felt needs to be instilled with in the upcoming generations. They knew as kids, we always wanted to be hero/heroin, therefore, I believe the intentions for us (the kids back then) is so we could make those stories our story. The structure may not be exact, but the general structure is there.
Hero Concept
The overall concept that I learned from these readings (this includes the DLGP2 blogposts) is that “hero” does not only reserve to those who had achieved extraordinary feats, but everyone, I mean even ordinary people like me, can be a hero. This may sound outrageous, but I like it, I don’t mind being a hero, moreover, a superhero! Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hero as:” (1.) a. mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability, b. an illustrious warrior, c. a person admired for achievements and noble qualities, d. one who shows great courage. (2.) a. the principal character in a literary or dramatic work… b. the central figure in an even, period, or movement).” After all these descriptions, I ponder and thought to myself where did I get the idea that anybody can be a hero/heroine? In an interview, Campbell described a hero as “someone who has found or achieved or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his/her life to something bigger than himself (herself) other than himself/herself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byli-Y8KonY&t=16s.).”
What Do I Learn
Hero comes in all sizes and shapes and from many walks of life. But what does this mean for me? I don’t have to be legendary figure, or an illustrious warrior, or one that displays great courage to a hero. “Achieving beyond my normal range of achievement or experience” and “giving myself to something bigger than myself” constitutes being a hero. So, if I keep my composure in my ups and downs and focus on pushing forward, I could achieve beyond what I normally would be capable of and experience beyond what I would normally experience. This in my self-reflection would be a hero! What I mean is that by moving beyond where I am currently now and dedicating myself to the cause constitutes being a hero. I may not be a superhero, but I could be mini-hero. I do believe that anyone can be a hero.
Reference:
Campbell, J. (2018) The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work. Harper & Row.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byli-Y8KonY&t=16s.
About the Author
Noel Liemam
2 responses to “Ups, Downs and Push Onward”
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Hi Noel, Thanks for your comments. As a Pacific Islander I would imagine that some of your story lines would slightly differ than those from a Campbell point of view.
I was not surprised to find a writers counter thought group, that stated Campbells Hero’s Journey was “needless and annoying.” They hearken back to the “medicine journey – trope” upon which Campbell built his “Hero’s Journey.”
The prime example they use is the Journey to the West, which is a story of the Monkey King, the monk Tripitaka, Pigsy and Sandy. See video…….https://youtu.be/5nOE7tBnYaU
Now the production writer group is called OSP or Overly Sarcastic Productions. So you have to take it with a grain of salt (they certainly do). My daughter and I listened to this latest production and much is spent on talking about the limitations that the Monomyth puts on story writers (that is their main beef by the way). Campbell does however, create the skeletal system upon which most successful stories are built in our Western Perspective….Thanks for your comments…Shalom…Russ
Thank you, Mr. Chun for your comment and the link. I agree with you on that point in which we could say that the “Hero’s Journey” format serves as tool mainly for analysis of a story, since a story could be told in any format the storyteller decided.