A few days ago, I had the chance to hear
writer, public speaker, and publisher Deb Dixon speak about the Hero’s Journey.
Yowza! The HJ narrative, as identified and
interpreted by Joseph Campbell, drives many of our stories and myths. Since Dixon’s talk, I’ve been viewing my adventures and
misadventures through the prism of the HJ. In short, I've become the heroine of my own life. Here’s
what I mean:
Weeks ago, I sat
in my ORDINARY WORLD, pecking at my laptop and talking to my cats when an email
arrived from my writing buddy Janice Martin. She’d made the finals of Georgia
Romance Writers of America’s Maggie contest. Did I want to travel with her to
Atlanta for the conference and awards ceremony. Hoo boy! I know a CALL TO
ADVENTURE when I hear it. “I’m in,” I wrote back.
Last Thursday, we
picked up our seat assignments at the Air Tran counter and boarded our plane. Unbeknownst
to me, I was seated in the emergency-exit row. Before the flight took off, a flight
attendant approached and said he'd have to move me. Huh? When he pointed to his
ears, I realized he’d noticed my sound processors (the external parts of my
cochlear implants). I was embarrassed, and my inner child wished I’d never
agreed to leave home (REFUSAL OF THE CALL). Air Tran had assigned me that
exit-row seat; I never requested it. Wah! Fortunately, my adult brain kicked in to remind me that, even with the implants,
I might not immediately
understand a crew member’s instructions after a crash or forced landing. Do I want to risk lives? N-O. I swallowed my pride and tried
for zen-like calm. The flight attendant moved me toward the front of the plane,
but not, alas, to first class. When I was settled, he made the sign-language
sign for thank you and my lingering pique vanished. The incident served as a TEST
and I like to think I made an ALLY.
Janice and I met many MENTORS, from the person who showed us how to buy a Breeze card for
Atlanta’s MARTA train to the conference organizers and workshop presenters, but the uber-MENTOR was Dixon whose workshops on the Hero’s Journey and on
Goal, Motivation and Conflict spoke to me. Thanks to her, I didn’t hesitate
before CROSSING THE THRESHOLD.
Ah, but there were
more TESTS, ALLIES, and ENEMIES to come. Janice and I struggled to perfect our
agent/editor pitches. The toilet in the hotel room across from ours flooded,
and water seeped into our room, forcing the hotel staff to relocate us. Nevertheless,
we made our APPROACH, that is, prepared for what was to come. Good thing, too,
because on Friday evening, a power outage shut down part of the Atlanta suburb
where our hotel was located. At the time, Janice and I had just taken our
seats for an evening workshop. I was stunned into silence, which was lucky since
everyone else stayed calm and my whimpers would have attracted attention. For
me, the darkness represented an ORDEAL. After fifteen or so minutes, the
hotel’s generators kicked in, and the hallway lights came on. We dragged our
chairs into the hallway, and the workshop presenters, Annie Rayburn and Susan
Carlisle, showed how to write an emotional synopsis. They nailed the workshop
and didn’t let us see them sweat even as the temperature inside the hotel climbed.
Shortly after the
workshop ended, power was restored. Yay!
The awards
ceremony represented a REWARD, as did the success of our agent and editor
appointments.
On Sunday morning,
Janice and I embarked on THE ROAD BACK. We reacquainted ourselves with MARTA,
passed through airport security, and returned to Houston.
In the next few
days, we’ll send out requested pages. To do so, we’ll have to battle self-doubt
and fear of failure to achieve THE RESURRECTION.
The RETURN WITH
THE ELIXIR represents more than one outcome. It could be me signing a book contract or encouraging you, dear readers, to see your lives as
story-worthy. You've already answered the CALL
TO ADVENTURE, although you term it “motherhood,” or “accounting,”
or “truck driving.” Your sullen teenager, attempt to reconcile ledgers, and night-time
drive through a storm are TESTS you must pass. There are times when life’s an
ORDEAL, and times when it’s a REWARD.
Hang in there.
Your turn: How would you handle a blackout
in a strange-to-you locale? Would you cower in the darkness or turn on your cell phone light the way for others?
Want to know more about the Hero’s Journey?
Start here.
