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Over the last couple weeks, I have been thinking about one of the themes raised by John Green
in his Butler University commencement address,
In his address, John stated that the journey of the hero is not the journey from weakness
to strength by rather the hero's journey should be one from strength to weakness.
John couched his argument in terms of the journey of the mythical superhero from weakling
to superstar and the career journey that the graduates were about to commence on, but I
think this whole idea can be stretched much further, to not just be about physical journeys
but about mental and emotional ones as well.
The journey from anger to forgiveness is just as hard a trip as the descent into physical
weakness or starting a career.
• It is far easier to stay angry and upset someone who has wronged you rather than to
forgive them and move on. • It is far easier to maintain a feud than
to resolve one. • It is far easier to hold a grudge rather
than holding out a hand in friendship and forgiveness.
• It is far easier to stay at arm's length from your family and friends rather than to
apologise.
The real hero journey's journey will be one of reflection, of forgiveness, of willingness
to take the high road. Along the road they might have to be the bigger person, they might
have to apologise when no apology is needed, they may need to bite their tongue, they may
need to compromise away from their firmly held views.
The real hero will be faced with difficult decisions about the right path to take. They
will have to make difficult choices about sacrificing in their own happiness for the
greater communal good.
The hero will have to realise that expressions of love are about much more than running across
daisy filled fields into the arms of your lover, but just as much about knowing when
to let go, when to listen, when to be gentle, when to be firm, when to take action and when
to do nothing.
The real hero's journey is not an easy one, but is often a necessary one to keep families
and communities together.