Love the reframe. I don't feel the victim, the hero, or the villian often (drama triangle). I also don't feel the capital H Hero often either. I'm often cruising playing my character without respect to the journey of me as the hero or adventurer or one who is overcoming. I think the world would be a lovelier place if we had more heroes overcoming.
Hmmm... Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey is on my mind today. I've never read the book. What I suspect is... that when we grow ourselves into the heroes of our own stories... our efforts serve society as a whole... and we're too busy to care about the circus of negativity so many either cannot, or will not leave behind.
And... I believe there is a difference between internal and external heroism. I suspect that empowering others to become their own hero is much more powerful than being somebody's hero? Not when it comes to the Heimlich Maneuver or pulling someone from the path of a speeding vehicle, but rather in the sense that we don't have the answers for somebody else's life course.
Your brain must be about to ignite! Your topics and contemplations don’t have any resemblance to a person’s brain after typical turkey triptophan effects! 🙃 I just searched Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” and saw more details than I could intelligently sort and sift in a brief reading. The words “archetypes” and “monomyth” suggest to me characters like Ulysses and his Odyssey. My search showed circular portrayals of the hero’s journey. In more modern times Winston Churchill comes to mind. Or Dwight Eisenhower. Each demonstrated skills of leadership in their governments as well as their respective armies. In the case of both WW II leaders, they succeeded in mobilizing and inspiring millions of soldiers to rise to the noble cause of protecting their countries and vanquishing ruthless enemies. War and victory seem requisite elements for these “monomyth” types.
A non-military type of striving and success on that scale doesn’t come to mind. Diseases like polio and Jonas Salk? Great scientists in physics and laws of the material world like Einstein? Or Copernicus? No armies involved although Galileo had to prevail against the Catholic Church about Earth not being the center of our solar system!
Scaling down to a more ordinary instance of decent, caring human beings (you of course as a prime illustration of inspiring others to strive to be their best selves), the “Give a man a fish” parable comes to mind.
You put emphasis on living authentic lives. Learning to love who we are so we can impart that loving kindness to others in our lives. Avoiding judgement of others owing to our own shortcomings. To practice acceptance of the “is” of our lives today, without abandoning our potential dreams for tomorrow? Inspiring others to search for and define their own dreams, thereby eliminating the “hero with all the answers for others’ lives.”
Thoughts galore! Thanks for kickstarting my thinker. Thanks, too, for unwavering tolerance of ramblers. No, no! Not the kind like my family’s 1961 Rambler station wagon! 🙃
Good self observation, DW. I’ve chosen, over a period of nearly the last year, to offer my support to folks on Twitter that are in various stages of contending with “c.” I suspect a good bit of typist’s own “pas de deux” with “c” as well as my wife’s own contending with breast cancer helps me relate. This has given me a glimpse of how readily users of Twitter reach out to strangers. Willingly telling of their circumstances, showing vulnerability, asking for just some acknowledgement, wanting connection. Some have nearly no life support groups; others have many supportive people in their lives. Either way what follows their requests is the replies from many strangers, and profound expressions of gratitude from the person making the request. My posts are not to fix folks. Mostly saying to the other that they are heard, and that I, like many others, wish their day to be the best possible. The responses I get back, and my own guts, tell me some good comes from such simple acts.
Breaking out into song with Let it gooooo let it gooooo made me laugh. I literally knew what song you were referring to right away. I hope that you get your phone working again.
Happy T+2, Gail! And how delicious is today’s post. The annotated painting from Monty around 3mm’s launch was delightful. A perfect fit. Jack’s thoughts on his “uncle-ing” and Deb’s “aunt-ing” (Jack H’s theory of relativity) tied in with our own holiday stay with my son and his family. Sweet moments. Jack talked of hero acts which DW commented on with precision. I replied to her about community and connection.
Before all that, I had written a haiku (haikus on demand🙃). As I noticed remarks from others and opted to examine & reply, I relearned the lesson of disappearing, unfinished posts 🤷🏽. Actually an example of unlearned lessons. And the haiku has vanished. “Must not have been very sticky.”
Consolation prize? A six-worder? 😬 ⬆️
May your phone come through its checkup ready to winter in Tahiti! (where frozen phone-ness is less frequent! But 5-G speeds are less abundant.) Unhurried conversations. 🙃
It's been a full day of phone resurrection activity -- Best Buy Geek Squad followed by hours at the Apple store in the mall. And the smartphone is still not kicking! Bah!
I have meet some nice people along the way though.
FB post: “IF LIZZIE BORDON SENDS YOU A FRIEND REQUEST, DO NOT ACCEPT! She’s known hacker” 😁
I get to be an uncle again today! Our CA niece came to visit last Monday, returned home yesterday; our CA nephew (interning in DC, just 2½ hours down the road, but finishing up his semester there soon) is in PA until tomorrow. He still finds a “real autumn” fascinating, so we’re going on a trail walk this afternoon. Deb is being her happiest Aunt Debbie; I get to be the hero by helping her be that. 😊
My wife, Beth, logged some gratifying step mother and great aunt time this Thanksgiving. My son’s wife is a strong, independent woman. Initially neither could quickly be on the same page with the other. Now, as their only child daughter approaches 3yo next March, Beth is both more engaged with Raven (my DIL) and better still, with Ryleigh, my grand daughter. So nice to be a part of all that!
Upon opening this love-letter and seeing the picture provided by “Monty” I broke out in raucous laughter after reading the accompanying text!
When I think of The Girls, I get all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m a big kid at heart and believe my gift to the world is my unwillingness to accept the box so many try to squeeze me into.
The only box I willingly accept is the one built by Jack and designed to put big smiles or terrified faces, depending on the scenario and level of surprise... 😂🤣😂
Anyway, let’s just say The Girls and I have a LOT in common and today’s image at the top of the love letter was a grand reminder of the many faces of BK! 😉 I have been the guy in the image looking for a girl with personality...
I have also been like Rumi... Clever one day and then realizing I could be wise and focus on myself instead, so for the last 11 months of this current cycle, that’s what I’ve done and it’s beginning to pay huge dividends as those around me are embracing the same philosophy and changing into the human beings they “CHOOSE” to be!
It’s very exciting to witness!
As I continue to embrace my inner childhood genius and become best friends with the broken four year old version of myself, the artist trapped inside continues to emerge while exploring different methods of expression. The newest opportunity looks to be illustrating and bringing some words to life with images designed to evoke emotion from potential readers... I am excited at the prospect of moving a reader from grief to gratitude with an image and my ability to channel whatever The Great Mystery shares with me...
LOL hope they can fix your iPhone.
They're working on it!
My "genius" from the Genius Bar was a delight. Very kind and helpful.
I had no idea what a Genius Bar was before today... Always Be Learning!
Love the reframe. I don't feel the victim, the hero, or the villian often (drama triangle). I also don't feel the capital H Hero often either. I'm often cruising playing my character without respect to the journey of me as the hero or adventurer or one who is overcoming. I think the world would be a lovelier place if we had more heroes overcoming.
Hmmm... Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey is on my mind today. I've never read the book. What I suspect is... that when we grow ourselves into the heroes of our own stories... our efforts serve society as a whole... and we're too busy to care about the circus of negativity so many either cannot, or will not leave behind.
And... I believe there is a difference between internal and external heroism. I suspect that empowering others to become their own hero is much more powerful than being somebody's hero? Not when it comes to the Heimlich Maneuver or pulling someone from the path of a speeding vehicle, but rather in the sense that we don't have the answers for somebody else's life course.
Thoughts?
Your brain must be about to ignite! Your topics and contemplations don’t have any resemblance to a person’s brain after typical turkey triptophan effects! 🙃 I just searched Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” and saw more details than I could intelligently sort and sift in a brief reading. The words “archetypes” and “monomyth” suggest to me characters like Ulysses and his Odyssey. My search showed circular portrayals of the hero’s journey. In more modern times Winston Churchill comes to mind. Or Dwight Eisenhower. Each demonstrated skills of leadership in their governments as well as their respective armies. In the case of both WW II leaders, they succeeded in mobilizing and inspiring millions of soldiers to rise to the noble cause of protecting their countries and vanquishing ruthless enemies. War and victory seem requisite elements for these “monomyth” types.
A non-military type of striving and success on that scale doesn’t come to mind. Diseases like polio and Jonas Salk? Great scientists in physics and laws of the material world like Einstein? Or Copernicus? No armies involved although Galileo had to prevail against the Catholic Church about Earth not being the center of our solar system!
Scaling down to a more ordinary instance of decent, caring human beings (you of course as a prime illustration of inspiring others to strive to be their best selves), the “Give a man a fish” parable comes to mind.
You put emphasis on living authentic lives. Learning to love who we are so we can impart that loving kindness to others in our lives. Avoiding judgement of others owing to our own shortcomings. To practice acceptance of the “is” of our lives today, without abandoning our potential dreams for tomorrow? Inspiring others to search for and define their own dreams, thereby eliminating the “hero with all the answers for others’ lives.”
Thoughts galore! Thanks for kickstarting my thinker. Thanks, too, for unwavering tolerance of ramblers. No, no! Not the kind like my family’s 1961 Rambler station wagon! 🙃
Good self observation, DW. I’ve chosen, over a period of nearly the last year, to offer my support to folks on Twitter that are in various stages of contending with “c.” I suspect a good bit of typist’s own “pas de deux” with “c” as well as my wife’s own contending with breast cancer helps me relate. This has given me a glimpse of how readily users of Twitter reach out to strangers. Willingly telling of their circumstances, showing vulnerability, asking for just some acknowledgement, wanting connection. Some have nearly no life support groups; others have many supportive people in their lives. Either way what follows their requests is the replies from many strangers, and profound expressions of gratitude from the person making the request. My posts are not to fix folks. Mostly saying to the other that they are heard, and that I, like many others, wish their day to be the best possible. The responses I get back, and my own guts, tell me some good comes from such simple acts.
Beauty in simplicity!
Breaking out into song with Let it gooooo let it gooooo made me laugh. I literally knew what song you were referring to right away. I hope that you get your phone working again.
Thanks Pennie. As Ralph Waldo so wisely said, "The greatest wealth is health."
Phone ain't nuthin' but a thing. It's currently undergoing surgery at an Apple facility. Let us see what happens next!
Happy T+2, Gail! And how delicious is today’s post. The annotated painting from Monty around 3mm’s launch was delightful. A perfect fit. Jack’s thoughts on his “uncle-ing” and Deb’s “aunt-ing” (Jack H’s theory of relativity) tied in with our own holiday stay with my son and his family. Sweet moments. Jack talked of hero acts which DW commented on with precision. I replied to her about community and connection.
Before all that, I had written a haiku (haikus on demand🙃). As I noticed remarks from others and opted to examine & reply, I relearned the lesson of disappearing, unfinished posts 🤷🏽. Actually an example of unlearned lessons. And the haiku has vanished. “Must not have been very sticky.”
Consolation prize? A six-worder? 😬 ⬆️
May your phone come through its checkup ready to winter in Tahiti! (where frozen phone-ness is less frequent! But 5-G speeds are less abundant.) Unhurried conversations. 🙃
It's been a full day of phone resurrection activity -- Best Buy Geek Squad followed by hours at the Apple store in the mall. And the smartphone is still not kicking! Bah!
I have meet some nice people along the way though.
Let us see what happens!
FB post: “IF LIZZIE BORDON SENDS YOU A FRIEND REQUEST, DO NOT ACCEPT! She’s known hacker” 😁
I get to be an uncle again today! Our CA niece came to visit last Monday, returned home yesterday; our CA nephew (interning in DC, just 2½ hours down the road, but finishing up his semester there soon) is in PA until tomorrow. He still finds a “real autumn” fascinating, so we’re going on a trail walk this afternoon. Deb is being her happiest Aunt Debbie; I get to be the hero by helping her be that. 😊
Bahhhhh! Haven't thought of Lizzie since childhood. 😱
Happy aunt and uncle-ing Jack and Deb! There are so many who are graced with your generosity of heart and spirit. 💜
My wife, Beth, logged some gratifying step mother and great aunt time this Thanksgiving. My son’s wife is a strong, independent woman. Initially neither could quickly be on the same page with the other. Now, as their only child daughter approaches 3yo next March, Beth is both more engaged with Raven (my DIL) and better still, with Ryleigh, my grand daughter. So nice to be a part of all that!
“These are indeed the days of my life!”
~Typist
Upon opening this love-letter and seeing the picture provided by “Monty” I broke out in raucous laughter after reading the accompanying text!
When I think of The Girls, I get all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m a big kid at heart and believe my gift to the world is my unwillingness to accept the box so many try to squeeze me into.
The only box I willingly accept is the one built by Jack and designed to put big smiles or terrified faces, depending on the scenario and level of surprise... 😂🤣😂
Anyway, let’s just say The Girls and I have a LOT in common and today’s image at the top of the love letter was a grand reminder of the many faces of BK! 😉 I have been the guy in the image looking for a girl with personality...
I have also been like Rumi... Clever one day and then realizing I could be wise and focus on myself instead, so for the last 11 months of this current cycle, that’s what I’ve done and it’s beginning to pay huge dividends as those around me are embracing the same philosophy and changing into the human beings they “CHOOSE” to be!
It’s very exciting to witness!
As I continue to embrace my inner childhood genius and become best friends with the broken four year old version of myself, the artist trapped inside continues to emerge while exploring different methods of expression. The newest opportunity looks to be illustrating and bringing some words to life with images designed to evoke emotion from potential readers... I am excited at the prospect of moving a reader from grief to gratitude with an image and my ability to channel whatever The Great Mystery shares with me...
“These are indeed the days of our lives...”
~TheEarthHeARTist
We contain multitudes! A river runs through us.
Excited to be sharing the book illustration adventure with you!
Hi Jack! My love letters originate here on Substack. I share them on Twitter and LinkedIn.(Instagram, too... When my phone works. 😂)
If you enjoy Typist and the muses, will you share links on your social media channels so that others might find them?