I don’t believe in a lot, but I believe that we’re protagonists in our own story… sometimes.  I guess it depends on what day it is.   But, over that, I believe in patterns.    Patterns of behavior.   Patterns of history.  Patterns of society.

So, while we’re protagonists, there’s a pattern that we follow.    Sometimes, it may take a long time for it to manifest.   99% of the time, we don’t see it ourselves.   Other people may not comment on it because a pattern helps us relate and control each other.

But, we can see these patterns in what we produce.   Movies. Novels. Social Media. These patterns are not recent.  In folk tales… in the Bible… even before the printing press was invented, these same patterns swirled and repeated and grew.

One of these patterns is the Hero’s Journey.  I think I’ve started to identify it in Jason’s life.     This probably isn’t going to be 100% clear, but I’m going to give it a shot.

We start with the ordinary world.

–   The ordinary world is like ground zero.    It’s a place and situation that can be reflected on to help gage development or the lack of development.
—–   For Jason, this would have been when he was living at his mom’s house.  A casualty of a messy and stressful divorce, young Jason had settled into working, escaping in online games, and attempting to ignore a dominating mother.
–  It wasn’t the most healthy place to be but, like most heroes (Link, Chrono, ect) the father figure is absent.

Call to Adventure: The hero is faced with something that makes him begin his adventure. This might be a problem or a challenge he needs to overcome.

I think this part actually has something to do with me.   For a while, I lived with him in his mom’s house.   While it started out okay… it deteriorated fairly quickly.  I was ready to move back to Indiana and he didn’t want me to leave.    That would have created a problem.

Refusal of the Call: The hero attempts to refuse the adventure because he is afraid.

I don’t think this really played much into the role.    We got a house.
If it wasn’t a house, it would have been an apartment.     Both of us was afraid, but we faced that fear.

Meeting with the Mentor: The hero encounters someone who can give him advice and ready him for the journey ahead.

I think Jason has had a lot of mentors.  John (I think that was his first name), Luke, my mom, Matt, and maybe even Patty.   These mentors come in the guise of co-workers and supervisors.  I’d also toss in his drinking buddy here.    I think that guy has had a big influence.

I can’t really think of someone outside of work that would have had an influence — a positive influence anyway.

Crossing the First Threshold: The hero leaves his ordinary world for the first time and crosses the threshold into adventure.

This happens twice.
First, when he moved from his mother’s house, he left the environment he knew for a more individualistic existence.

The second instance was when he left Sears.
Sears was oppressive and it crushed his soul.  They used and abused him.   It’s kind of a pattern that existed in his mother’s house.

He crossed into an adventure by going to another job – Sound Advice.

Tests, Allies, Enemies: The hero learns the rules of his new world. During this time, he endures tests of strength of will, meets friends, and comes face to face with foes.

I’m counting Lee and his grandmother as allies instead of mentors.
Sure, he gains reinforcement from them, but they really don’t seem to have a superior vibe.    Rather, they’re available to help and just listen.  That’s what friends are supposed to do, right?

Tests…. too many to mention, unfortunately.

But, on the other hand, I can’t think of any true enemies.  There’s no Darth Vader or Bowser looming over his life.

Unless, of course, we’re referring to the enemy within.

But, no matter who you are, the worst enemy is always withing.    No one knows you better and has access to a heart 24/7.

Approach: Setbacks occur, sometimes causing the hero to try a new approach or adopt new ideas.

Okay!
Lots and lots of this one.

Setbacks –
My anorexia
The mortgage of the house essentially doubling after the first year and a half.
Moving out of retail, starting college, and finding a job.

Lots of setbacks.   For the most part, they’ve been overcome but have lasting consequences.

Looking back, it’s really easy to be afraid.  It’s easy to want to abandon the house and move in with family.   It’s easy to default on the mortgage and hide in the sand.

But, for the most part, Jason has resisted.
For example, when I was in the House, they pretty much insisted that he abandon the house and return to his mother.  They wanted him to break up with me, find a job flipping burgers, and live an unremarkable life.  As did his mother.    She suggested several times that he move in with her.

At one point, I think his long-absent father even suggested that Jason move in with him.

I guess I can see how his family may have been trying to take care of him, but I’m a suspicious person.   I also see ulterior motives.  But, none of that had to do with me.

That was all him not budging for the inch of property he owned and faith that I wouldn’t abandon him despite the pressures placed on me.

I know I’m a bit biased here, but I think that’s admirable.
It’s just easier to take the path of least resistance and he didn’t d that.

Ordeal: The hero experiences a major hurdle or obstacle, such as a life or death crisis.

College is an ordeal – without a doubt.

Earning a college degree(s) and finding a career – a real career – has been an unbelievable obstacle.

There are several reasons for this.
When he started, the economy was in the crapper, but that has gotten better.
He claims age, which I can see.  Starting college in his late 20s (30s?) places his about 10 years behind the curve of most.

Also, he considers being who he is – a white male – to be a setback.   I can understand that too.  Objectively observing society, it can be quite a disadvantage being a white male, especially on the lower tiers of jobs.

—  Okay — not going into a social commentary here.
But, it’s difficult.

Reward: After surviving death, the hero earns his reward or accomplishes his goal.

The rewards could be me moving back to Florida full time.
Having the house paid off.   An advantageous career.  Owning a car instead of leasing.  I think those are the goals and rewards, but they haven’t been accomplished yet.

The journey isn’t at an end.

The Road Back: The hero begins his journey back to his ordinary life.

Ordinary life is a big unknown.
Maybe something like it was when I worked at Knology and he at Sears.    We mostly had the evenings together and got along well.

What he has now cannot be ordinary.

Resurrection Hero – The hero faces a final test where everything is at stake and he must use everything he has learned.

Easy —  CPA exam.

Return with Elixir: The hero brings his knowledge or the “elixir” back to the ordinary world, where he applies it to help all who remain.

I think he’s already doing this somewhat.
He tries to help his clients and sympathizes with them, although that’s probably not the right kind of elixir.

He listens to co-workers and tries to help students who are going to him for tutoring.

I think that says a lot.
He’s still giving despite personal hardships.

I really want to know what he’ll do when the real elixir is obtained.