Eighteen more days left in the year. Eighteen more posts and I will hit 500. How about that? That was nothing that was planned, but since finals will be over on Friday and I will be out of school for a month, doing eighteen more posts by the end of the year shouldn't be a problem.
Hero In Your Soul wasn't anything that was planned either. I started it to help two friends with a project, to promote it for them. They didn't go through with their project, but here I am more than two years later still blogging away. It has become increasingly personal as time goes on, and sometimes I am vaguely embarrassed at how self-absorbed I might seem. But not embarrassed enough to stop.
By writing this blog, I show you who I am. I don't know if you need to see who I am, but I know with absolute certainty that I need to show you. I have come a long way since I lived the life which I wrote about in Naked. I used to worry that I was no longer capable of intimacy, when the trust and respect in my marriage had broken down so badly. I don't worry about that anymore. Not only am I capable of it, I long for it. Here, and in my everyday life.
My adult kids and our mutual friends have access to my blog, and lately I've begun to regret that it isn't anonymous. Because there are topics I'd like to explore that I wouldn't be comfortable sharing with them. Perhaps at one point I will start something more private, but for today this is good.
Thank you for reading. There are some people that I know for sure have followed me from the very start, and it blows me away to think that 482 posts later, you are still interested. I had an email from a reader who said she felt inspired to volunteer at her polling place on the next election day after she read my post about my experience. So I inspired her, which is wonderful.
But you inspire me. I love knowing that there are other people in the world who believe, as Ayn Rand so brilliantly put it, "the world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."
One down. Seventeen to go.
Susan
Showing posts with label hero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hero. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
I Dream of Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman just passed away, and most of the headlines refer to him as the actor who played J. R. Ewing on "Dallas." It seems that was the role for which he was most famous. I saw that TV show a few times, but I never did watch it much mostly because I just hated seeing Major Nelson from "I Dream of Jeannie" being such a villain.
"Dallas" was on primetime when I was an adult, but "Jeannie" was a show from my childhood. Having one's childhood illusions shattered is not a fun thing. Do you remember "My Three Sons" with Fred MacMurray as the wonderful dad? A few years ago, I saw for my first time the classic film "Double Jeopardy" starring MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. Great movie, and the bad guy MacMurray played years before he became Rob, Chip and Ernie's dad is an amazing performance. But I'll take Steve Douglas any day of the week, thank you very much.
Coincidentally, Larry Hagman's mother is the great actress Mary Martin. She charmed us in Peter Pan, The Sound of Music and South Pacific. Young Larry was raised by his grandparents and was estranged from his mother for many years, for she was one of those women whose career came first, and her child came second. They reconciled later in Martin's life, so I guess somehow he came to terms with who his mother was.
Heroes and villains. It's the stuff that entertainment is made of. And we often play out our own inner dramas by watching men such as Major Nelson and J. R. Ewing on the screen.
Of course, Larry Hagman the person was not the roles he played. He was a father and a grandfather, and had been married to the same woman for 58 years. A heavy drinker and smoker at one time, he cautioned others not to ruin their health in the same way. His co-star from "Jeannie" Barbara Eden wrote a lovely tribute to him, and said what an influence he had been in her life.
Heroes and villains. Reality is not that simple. We human beings are complicated. But maybe that is precisely why so many people loved watching J. R. Ewing. And that is definitely why I liked Major Nelson way better than Mr. Ewing. I'll still take a hero any day of the week.
Susan
"Dallas" was on primetime when I was an adult, but "Jeannie" was a show from my childhood. Having one's childhood illusions shattered is not a fun thing. Do you remember "My Three Sons" with Fred MacMurray as the wonderful dad? A few years ago, I saw for my first time the classic film "Double Jeopardy" starring MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. Great movie, and the bad guy MacMurray played years before he became Rob, Chip and Ernie's dad is an amazing performance. But I'll take Steve Douglas any day of the week, thank you very much.
Coincidentally, Larry Hagman's mother is the great actress Mary Martin. She charmed us in Peter Pan, The Sound of Music and South Pacific. Young Larry was raised by his grandparents and was estranged from his mother for many years, for she was one of those women whose career came first, and her child came second. They reconciled later in Martin's life, so I guess somehow he came to terms with who his mother was.
Heroes and villains. It's the stuff that entertainment is made of. And we often play out our own inner dramas by watching men such as Major Nelson and J. R. Ewing on the screen.
Of course, Larry Hagman the person was not the roles he played. He was a father and a grandfather, and had been married to the same woman for 58 years. A heavy drinker and smoker at one time, he cautioned others not to ruin their health in the same way. His co-star from "Jeannie" Barbara Eden wrote a lovely tribute to him, and said what an influence he had been in her life.
Heroes and villains. Reality is not that simple. We human beings are complicated. But maybe that is precisely why so many people loved watching J. R. Ewing. And that is definitely why I liked Major Nelson way better than Mr. Ewing. I'll still take a hero any day of the week.
Susan
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Of Heroes and Heroines
Joseph Campbell is one of my favorite authors. His first (and probably most famous) book was "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." Many Christians, especially those who are on the evangelical side of the spectrum, believe their faith is quite unique. While I respect their right to believe as they wish, there are many stories and myths that are quite similar to that of Jesus. The hero is an archetype. The hero with a thousand faces, Jesus being (in my opinion) one of them.
I recently read "The Heroine's Journey: A Woman's Quest for Wholeness" by Maureen Murdock. A student of Campbell, Murdock wrote the book because she felt Campbell's work did not adequately address the needs of women. Campbell was still alive when her book was published, and she was quite anxious for his opinion. She didn't like what he had to say, but after reading her book, I must completely agree with Campbell. He said, "Women don't need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize she's the place that people are trying to get to."
Already there. Isn't it ironic that we run around trying to get somewhere, when we are already there? I am a feminist. I believe that men and women are equal. I believe that a woman has a right to complete power over her own body. I believe in equal pay for equal work. I believe we need a level playing field for all people, female people and male people.
But we are different. Life is enough of a struggle from time to time, so why would I or any of my sisters want to make the arduous hero's journey when we are already there?
Susan
I recently read "The Heroine's Journey: A Woman's Quest for Wholeness" by Maureen Murdock. A student of Campbell, Murdock wrote the book because she felt Campbell's work did not adequately address the needs of women. Campbell was still alive when her book was published, and she was quite anxious for his opinion. She didn't like what he had to say, but after reading her book, I must completely agree with Campbell. He said, "Women don't need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize she's the place that people are trying to get to."
Already there. Isn't it ironic that we run around trying to get somewhere, when we are already there? I am a feminist. I believe that men and women are equal. I believe that a woman has a right to complete power over her own body. I believe in equal pay for equal work. I believe we need a level playing field for all people, female people and male people.
But we are different. Life is enough of a struggle from time to time, so why would I or any of my sisters want to make the arduous hero's journey when we are already there?
Susan
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I Can Save Myself
The knight in shining armor, preferably on a white horse, is a beautiful fantasy. There's nothing wrong with a lady being rescued by a brave knight. The strength of a healthy egalitarian relationship, however, is sometimes he saves you and sometimes you save him. What a gift when your weakness speaks to your partner's strength.
There are certain situations where only you can save yourself. It's romantic to think of someone else slaying the dragons, but when it comes to things like addiction or abuse, you are the only one who can do it. Support, help and encouragement are all wonderful, but really it's all up to you.
Are you worth saving? For some folks who have never really stood up for themselves in a definitive way, they might answer "yes" but feel differently in their hearts. Low self-esteem can fuel addictive behaviors and abusive relationships. It can be scary and painful, but really it's a gift when life backs you into a corner, your self-preservation instinct kicks in and you save yourself.
I recently heard from a brave woman who distanced herself from her abusive parent. She said she didn't feel bad about it. Well, of course not. That's because there is nothing to feel guilty over, and her lack of guilt is her reward for having the guts to save herself. She chose herself over her abuser. It's really the only decision to make, absolutely the right thing to do, yet so many can't or won't do it. I look forward to seeing what kind of blessings she receives since she made the pivotal and powerful choice to save herself.
Susan
There are certain situations where only you can save yourself. It's romantic to think of someone else slaying the dragons, but when it comes to things like addiction or abuse, you are the only one who can do it. Support, help and encouragement are all wonderful, but really it's all up to you.
Are you worth saving? For some folks who have never really stood up for themselves in a definitive way, they might answer "yes" but feel differently in their hearts. Low self-esteem can fuel addictive behaviors and abusive relationships. It can be scary and painful, but really it's a gift when life backs you into a corner, your self-preservation instinct kicks in and you save yourself.
I recently heard from a brave woman who distanced herself from her abusive parent. She said she didn't feel bad about it. Well, of course not. That's because there is nothing to feel guilty over, and her lack of guilt is her reward for having the guts to save herself. She chose herself over her abuser. It's really the only decision to make, absolutely the right thing to do, yet so many can't or won't do it. I look forward to seeing what kind of blessings she receives since she made the pivotal and powerful choice to save herself.
Susan
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