This week I've been mulling over the kinds of stories we tell in our culture. I've noticed a trend, and I think it says a lot about us.
The classic tales of the past often see our hero (or heroine) begin in their home. They are then forced by circumstances to leave and travel out into the greater world. They encounter both allies and obstacles. At some point they find power either in an object, an ability, or a piece of knowledge. They then return home to set things right and settle back into their community. This is not all tales, but it is the template for many of them. The uniting factor is the return home.
Modern tales often concern people's struggle to get out and escape from their origins to make it big in the larger world. These tales don't focus on the return home or to community, only the exit strategy. The change here is of course the belief in the rugged individual, and exceptional qualities that our would be heroes possess. In the old stories the return revitalizes the community and lifts them up and the hero becomes enmeshed in the continuity of society.
As we look around our world the state of many of our communities are in disarray. No matter where we live there is always "that part of town" or county where you steer clear if you are smart. Every city has the place where the homeless gather, where the junkies hide out, where the working girls ply their trade, and the place where the gangs run the streets. It's no wonder that so many of our stories focus on making it out and making it big. I wonder though that in making that the focus of our stories if we haven't ensured that those dark places will continue to thrive and consume those of us not lucky enough to make it out. Some places are predatory, they feed on the hopes and dreams of people consuming them a bit day by day. It is natural to want to run from the lions, but not many will ever out run them.
In escaping we save ourselves, but lose our community. I wonder if the stories changed again back to themes of returning home to save it if our attitude would change. If the focus became less on our heroes and more on the relationships that drove them on and back to where they began would that change society? It is easy for me to write this, I've been blessed in my point of origin. Still I see the damage that occurs when the individual is taken out of community. That damage works both ways, the loss of emotional support to the individual, and the loss of skills, drive, and care taking to the community.
So why am I telling you this? Well there is so much pressure to be a personal success, to be an individual. There is quite a bit less on being a good community member. As I observe the events of the world I become more convinced that our tunnel vision concerning our lives as individuals is at the root of many problems. When our communities break down that affects our families, and when our families break down it affects each person. That effect is then recycled back into our community creating deeper fissures. Then the idea of being on your own becomes more than an idea, it becomes the shared reality. When people are on their own they are much easier to manage and control by larger societal forces. It is also easier to sell them on half truths, or to use scapegoats. If you don't have connections with the "other" it is easy to believe what you are told about them.
I don't have answers. I work with individuals or very small groups. I'm not a big social person. I tend to be wary of communities as I have been for most of my life a convenient scapegoat. I do however see the need for community, and the damage the lack of it creates. So I start small trying to build relationships a bit at a time. I try to create value where I am, because there is very little in this world that cannot be solved by people coming together. We may have to go out into the world and fight our dragons, but eventually we all long to come home. For you I wish that the road blesses you with good companions and that you find a way to bring what you have gained on your travels back to your point of origin to share. Communities outlive individuals, skills like stories can be passed down. So I hope your story brings you safely home.
Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle
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