One

Maybe this is a trait unique to me, brought on by years of reading fantasy novels when I was younger. And the ones I read now. And the ones I will continue to read as I progress in years. Regardless, reading these stories makes me want to be a hero. Accepting the call to adventure, feeling the freedom and independence and responsibility of the journey of a hero.

As someone who enjoys writing (but doesn't do it nearly as often as he should), I find literary techniques to be rather interesting, especially when they combine with the idea of the Hero. At this crossroads we find the template of the Heroic Journey.

Without going into too much detail, the story of the Hero has a few basic steps. There's Departure, in which the Hero is assigned his (or her) task and, well, departs. There's usually some hesitation, but by the end of this first part, the Hero is on his (or her) way to being just that, a Hero.

The second step is Initiation. Initiation of the journey, and initiation into the world. The Hero-to-be realizes that things are not plain and simple as they were when they were young. The world is full of both good and evil, power and weakness, and the Hero realizes this and learns exactly what it is they need to do to be successful.

Finally, the Return. This is the ending, the denouement. The Hero's journey is through, the bad guy defeated. Sometimes the Hero is glad to return, for things to be the way they were before. Other times they fight it. After having drunk of this power, this freedom, why would they leave it behind?

The part that really gets me thinking, is how can this be shown in my own real life? I'm not a character in a book, after all. I don't get tasked with a divine mission of taking out the ultimate evil and saving the world, the Hero's Journey can't possibly apply to me in such depth, can it? Well, maybe not exactly, but in a metaphorical sense, the Hero's Journey plays itself out many times throughout life. College, for example. Many people are scared and nervous when they get ready to head off (Departure). Yet after all the experiences and excitement (Initiation), they are sometimes reluctant to come back and go back to living in their parents' house for the summer, working a summer job (Return).

That's just one example. How are you a Hero?

(Note: This was my main source in the parts of the Hero's Journey. It's an interesting read, in my opinion.)