One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on April 19, 2013, 03:32:22 AM
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Journey towards acceptance
Peter Hanlon
The Age
April 19, 2013
When Ivan Maric was on the trade table in late 2011, he took a call from Bachar Houli, who'd known the same nervous uncertainty of a footballer in limbo a year before. As Houli told him he would be welcomed at Richmond, an unlikely friendship began.
Houli, a devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian, make something of an odd couple bustling about the corridors at Punt Road Oval. Yet they are firm mates, growing as people in step with their broadening knowledge of the other's culture, stories and beliefs.
''I've learnt so much, so much,'' says Maric, admitting his prior understanding didn't extend far beyond knowing Muslims didn't eat pork. A deeper, gentler soul than his appearance might hint, Maric bombarded Houli with questions, and revelled in the answers.
''Straight away we became really close. I was fascinated by the religion. I love it. Some of the things about it … it's made me a better person.''
Socialising with Houli's wife, Rouba, and Maric's fiancee, Erin, their differences came to light, and enlightened them. ''Simple things, like in Australia the tradition of shaking hands and kissing on the cheek as a greeting,'' Houli says. ''For us, we can't do that. I explained to Ivan why, and he respects that.''
The perception of religion as terrorism, as enslaving women, not drinking alcohol or eating certain foods, all were on their dinner table. ''It's amazing, when you sit down and speak with someone and you want to understand, it's amazing what you come out of it with,'' Houli says.
''You see a good individual who's trying to be the best person they can be, you start believing others are like that.''
Maric was no different to any other children of migrants in being brought up as if in a virtual homeland. ''We spoke the language, we ate the food every day. We've both got big families, that's who you socialised with on the weekends, all your cousins. You didn't really bother hanging out with friends from school, you had so many cousins.''
As a child, Houli thought there were only two races - Lebanese and Australian. ''If you weren't Lebanese, whether you were Croatian, Italian, whatever, I just thought you were Aussie.''
Football broadened their spectrum, and made them even prouder of where they're from. Says Maric: ''You start inviting people into your family environment, they're like, 'How good's this? We never had anything like this, the food, all the people …' That's when we realised how special it is, and how lucky we were to have that.''
Houli is one of 10 AFL multicultural officers, and recently discovered that by the league's definition - having at least one parent born overseas - 30 per cent of Richmond's list is deemed multicultural, double the competition average. He saw a strength to be celebrated.
Unprompted, he wrote a document espousing the benefits of a multicultural workplace - be it an office or a football change room - and fired it off to Tigers officials. ''It was just to get the point across that our game has changed, it's become so multicultural, and that people are forgetting the value of that,'' Houli says.
At the club recently, players stood up and told their family stories. Maric's is all the more humbling because he knows it's so typical.
His mother is from a small village in Croatia, Durdenovac, and came to Australia with her 10 siblings because her father had heard of this land of opportunity. Aged 11 and with one too many mouths to feed, Maric's grandfather was sent to work on a farm. ''It wasn't far from his home, but he was never allowed to visit his family.''
His father, from Komletinci, found work wherever and doing whatever he could, eventually came to Melbourne, and through the strong Croatian community in St Albans met Ivan's mother. A couple of years ago, the family went back for the first time. The experience moved Maric deeply.
''I can't explain it, it was just a special feeling,'' he says, recalling men who were children when his father lived there telling him how he'd looked after them, put them on his scooter and taken them for rides around the village.
''It makes you feel good about your father, your mum, where you're from. When I came back I wanted to be more of an Australian Croatian then ever before, I was so proud.''
He thinks conversations about refugees too often lack empathy. ''They're taking huge risks, and people don't understand why.'' He finds people's journeys interesting.
Houli isn't wasting his foot in the door at headquarters, or the powerful ears he has there. He appreciates what the AFL is doing with its annual multicultural round, but has told ''the boss'', as he calls Andrew Demetriou, it could be so much better.
His grand plan is a celebration of food, dances, religions, turning AFL grounds into festival sites for one weekend a year.
''We've got to take the next step, where people are going to enjoy this round and can't wait for it,'' Houli said.
At the root of their friendship is acceptance, a quality Houli is convinced will make the game even stronger.
''We want people to accept others from different cultures and just get on with it. It's a game of football, a game where you can bring people together. And it's heading in the right direction.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/journey-towards-acceptance-20130418-2i31p.html#ixzz2Qpy9txbn
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Yes, what an odd, uneducated statement. Houli I'm sure has good intentions and so long as he concentrates on sharing cultural experiences I'm all for it. Preaching religion however is a different matter.
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Yes, what an odd, uneducated statement. Houli I'm sure has good intentions and so long as he concentrates on sharing cultural experiences I'm all for it. Preaching religion however is a different matter.
Apologies but I am not sure what you mean by "what an odd, uneducated statement"? :-\
And BTW I didn't read or get the feeling anywhere in the article that Houli is "preaching religion" to anyone. I have always thought by explaining to people how his reigion works that is in fact
"sharing cultural experiences" because his religion is by definition his culture
Again apologies if I have missed your point :thumbsup
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Yes, what an odd, uneducated statement. Houli I'm sure has good intentions and so long as he concentrates on sharing cultural experiences I'm all for it. Preaching religion however is a different matter.
Apologies but I am not sure what you mean by "what an odd, uneducated statement"? :-\
And BTW I didn't read or get the feeling anywhere in the article that Houli is "preaching religion" to anyone. I have always thought by explaining to people how his reigion works that is in fact
"sharing cultural experiences" because his religion is by definition his culture
Again apologies if I have missed your point :thumbsup
Maric's quotes referring to what he has 'learnt' from the religion in para' 3 & 4. And the distinction between being a Muslim and Australian is odd/uneducated in that one can be Muslim and Australian.
As for culture and religion being synonymous I would strongly disagree. Houli is culturally Lebanese. Religion is only one contributing factors to the basket of human pursuits that make up 'culture' or 'way-of-life'. Lebanon is made up of people who have chosen a variety of religious beliefs including Christianity (Catholic/Orthodox), Judaism, Copts, Is'maili etc etc etc. I have close friends who are Lebanese Muslims and others who are Christians. They are all Lebanese first.
As for religion......this concept that we will all live in harmony if only we just understand and appreciate each others religion is B/S. The underlying hatred and enmity in the teachings that prop up all religions resurface in times of stress (mostly engineered). It has always been the same.
If Houli was a Greek running around teaching classical Greek philosophy or personal growth through metaphorical 'spiritualism' I'd be much happier.
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Houli, a devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian,
A line like this really gets under my skin. By subtle implication and whether intended or not, an ill-thought out line like that can have the effect of saying Houli isn't a proud Australian because he is Muslim. Good journalism or writing would have a better way of getting a point across without making this flawed point - something like:
Houli, a proud Australian and devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian with strong Croatian heritage
That reworded line still gets the same point across and still leads the reader seamlessly to the same place in the article but it doesn't imply anything about either person that is possibly denigrating or misleading. The media are so powerful in this country, I really wish they would think through the things they write sometimes. Unless of course, they meant for the inference to be there.
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As for religion......this concept that we will all live in harmony if only we just understand and appreciate each others religion is B/S. The underlying hatred and enmity in the teachings that prop up all religions resurface in times of stress (mostly engineered). It has always been the same.
Sad but so very true R.
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He feels that he is defined by his religious beliefs which is his right, he also addresses misconceptions attached to his religion to those who ASK, as opposed to those who preach unbidden at us and bend political ears demanding we bow to their demands and have their ways projected upon our lives regardless if we subscribe to their cult or not.
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good point smokey. It seems that ACA and such piffle has set the bar very low for the standard of journalism in this country and not too many are prepared to raise it.
Yes, what an odd, uneducated statement. Houli I'm sure has good intentions and so long as he concentrates on sharing cultural experiences I'm all for it. Preaching religion however is a different matter.
Apologies but I am not sure what you mean by "what an odd, uneducated statement"? :-\
And BTW I didn't read or get the feeling anywhere in the article that Houli is "preaching religion" to anyone. I have always thought by explaining to people how his reigion works that is in fact
"sharing cultural experiences" because his religion is by definition his culture
Again apologies if I have missed your point :thumbsup
Maric's quotes referring to what he has 'learnt' from the religion in para' 3 & 4. And the distinction between being a Muslim and Australian is odd/uneducated in that one can be Muslim and Australian.
As for culture and religion being synonymous I would strongly disagree. Houli is culturally Lebanese. Religion is only one contributing factors to the basket of human pursuits that make up 'culture' or 'way-of-life'. Lebanon is made up of people who have chosen a variety of religious beliefs including Christianity (Catholic/Orthodox), Judaism, Copts, Is'maili etc etc etc. I have close friends who are Lebanese Muslims and others who are Christians. They are all Lebanese first.
As for religion......this concept that we will all live in harmony if only we just understand and appreciate each others religion is B/S. The underlying hatred and enmity in the teachings that prop up all religions resurface in times of stress (mostly engineered). It has always been the same.
If Houli was a Greek running around teaching classical Greek philosophy or growth through metaphorical 'spiritualism' I'd be much happier.
i can see where you are coming from, but intolerance is one of the greatest causes of conflict in the world.
while total peace and harmony through understanding and acceptance is a hippie style pipe dream, surely it must go some way to removing intolerance?
I know a number of people, including at least one on this forum, who think that Islam by its nature is a evil religion that only preaches bad crap, whereas the reality is that most religions are manufactured in a way that you can take what you want out of it.
How people interpret it and use its teachings is more a reflection of the individual than the teachings. If you are someone that wants to spread intolerance and hatred, you can use your religion to do so. If you want to spread a message of peace and harmony, you can use your religion to do so.
I don't have much time for religion, and i definately dont want anyone trying to ram it down my throat.
In none of the articles about Houli have I got the impression he was trying to force his religion on to anyone, but rather just to get people to get some understanding and probably therefore tolerance.
whether or not he is misguided in this, I dont believe there is nothing sinister about his motives
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As for culture and religion being synonymous I would strongly disagree. Houli is culturally Lebanese. Religion is only one contributing factors to the basket of human pursuits that make up 'culture' or 'way-of-life'. Lebanon is made up of people who have chosen a variety of religious beliefs including Christianity (Catholic/Orthodox), Judaism, Copts, Is'maili etc etc etc. I have close friends who are Lebanese Muslims and others who are Christians. They are all Lebanese first.
Firstly thanks for the answer - I get where you are coming from now :thumbsup
I obviously didn't explain myself too well when I said: "I have always thought by explaining to people how his reigion works that is in fact "sharing cultural experiences" because his religion is by definition his culture". I'll try again :)
While I agree in principle with what you saying about culture and religion not necessairly being synonymous. I believe in Houli's case his culture is defined by his religious belief (well that's what I was trying to say) becauase that's what he has chosen to do. Hence my comment "his religion is by definition his culture"
Yes he is Lebanese but I they way I've always viewed it from hearing him speak and reading articles it appears to me he sees himself as a Muslin first and Lebanese 2nd. Because his faith/beliefs are what drive him not where is family comes from. Is that right or wrong? I'd say that's a personal choice that he is allowed to make.
Houli, a devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian,
A line like this really gets under my skin. By subtle implication and whether intended or not, an ill-thought out line like that can have the effect of saying Houli isn't a proud Australian because he is Muslim. Good journalism or writing would have a better way of getting a point across without making this flawed point - something like:
Houli, a proud Australian and devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian with strong Croatian heritage
That reworded line still gets the same point across and still leads the reader seamlessly to the same place in the article but it doesn't imply anything about either person that is possibly denigrating or misleading. The media are so powerful in this country, I really wish they would think through the things they write sometimes. Unless of course, they meant for the inference to be there.
very point point Smokey
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good point smokey. It seems that ACA and such piffle has set the bar very low for the standard of journalism in this country and not too many are prepared to raise it.
Yes, what an odd, uneducated statement. Houli I'm sure has good intentions and so long as he concentrates on sharing cultural experiences I'm all for it. Preaching religion however is a different matter.
Apologies but I am not sure what you mean by "what an odd, uneducated statement"? :-\
And BTW I didn't read or get the feeling anywhere in the article that Houli is "preaching religion" to anyone. I have always thought by explaining to people how his reigion works that is in fact
"sharing cultural experiences" because his religion is by definition his culture
Again apologies if I have missed your point :thumbsup
Maric's quotes referring to what he has 'learnt' from the religion in para' 3 & 4. And the distinction between being a Muslim and Australian is odd/uneducated in that one can be Muslim and Australian.
As for culture and religion being synonymous I would strongly disagree. Houli is culturally Lebanese. Religion is only one contributing factors to the basket of human pursuits that make up 'culture' or 'way-of-life'. Lebanon is made up of people who have chosen a variety of religious beliefs including Christianity (Catholic/Orthodox), Judaism, Copts, Is'maili etc etc etc. I have close friends who are Lebanese Muslims and others who are Christians. They are all Lebanese first.
As for religion......this concept that we will all live in harmony if only we just understand and appreciate each others religion is B/S. The underlying hatred and enmity in the teachings that prop up all religions resurface in times of stress (mostly engineered). It has always been the same.
If Houli was a Greek running around teaching classical Greek philosophy or growth through metaphorical 'spiritualism' I'd be much happier.
i can see where you are coming from, but intolerance is one of the greatest causes of conflict in the world.
while total peace and harmony through understanding and acceptance is a hippie style pipe dream, surely it must go some way to removing intolerance?
I know a number of people, including at least one on this forum, who think that Islam by its nature is a evil religion that only preaches bad crap, whereas the reality is that most religions are manufactured in a way that you can take what you want out of it.
How people interpret it and use its teachings is more a reflection of the individual than the teachings. If you are someone that wants to spread intolerance and hatred, you can use your religion to do so. If you want to spread a message of peace and harmony, you can use your religion to do so.
I don't have much time for religion, and i definately dont want anyone trying to ram it down my throat.
In none of the articles about Houli have I got the impression he was trying to force his religion on to anyone, but rather just to get people to get some understanding and probably therefore tolerance.
whether or not he is misguided in this, I dont believe there is nothing sinister about his motives
Yeah as I said earlier Bachar does have good intentions but as that saying goes 'the road to ruin is paved by good intentions'. Religious belief requires a cognitive dissonance that is very dangerous IMO. But I wont harp on. You make some very good points.
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Firstly thanks for the answer - I get where you are coming from now :thumbsup
I obviously didn't explain myself too well when I said: "I have always thought by explaining to people how his reigion works that is in fact "sharing cultural experiences" because his religion is by definition his culture". I'll try again :)
While I agree in principle with what you saying about culture and religion not necessairly being synonymous. I believe in Houli's case his culture is defined by his religious belief (well that's what I was trying to say) becauase that's what he has chosen to do. Hence my comment "his religion is by definition his culture"
Yes he is Lebanese but I they way I've always viewed it from hearing him speak and reading articles it appears to me he sees himself as a Muslin first and Lebanese 2nd. Because his faith/beliefs are what drive him not where is family comes from. Is that right or wrong? I'd say that's a personal choice that he is allowed to make.
I have sensed in some of his statements (unrelated to this article) a trend towards proselytizing. I believe he sees his football as a means to spread 'education' regarding his religion. You are right, it is his right. Just as it is my right to be be vigilant and suspicious. Houli is Shia-Muslim which has as one of it's tenets, sharia law.................
Edited to correct quote
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poo, I don't know how I stuffed the above post up :-[. Anyway you get my gist WP.
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We should all pray in the MCG prayer rooms before the game but not if your a woman. Women have to go into the "other" room designated for them. :whistle
Wait a minute .... Sorry I forgot to mention that if your not Muslim you can't pray with them either.
As-salam alaykum. :clapping
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Enter exhibit A
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this has nothing to do with football, move the thread
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A life can be mapped in the context of what Joseph Campbell called the 'Hero's Journey'. It is a theme in all human psyche's no matter what background. That is why we get all warm and fuzzy when disparite characters meet (houli and Maric) in order to vanquish a foe (Collingwood). It is one of the steps in the journey. Where does it come from...who knows. But what I do know is that overlying dogma's just get in the way. Campbell described Shamans/Mystics/Seers/Alchemists as conduits or open hands that led you to esoteric wisdom. Priests/Mullah's closed the hands into fists and said not come through me but to me.
The Hero's Journey:
The Hero's Journey Outline
The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.
Its stages are:
1. THE ORDINARY WORLD. The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
2. THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change.
3. REFUSAL OF THE CALL. The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
4. MEETING WITH THE MENTOR. The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.
5. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD. At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
6. TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES. The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.
7. APPROACH. The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.
8. THE ORDEAL. Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life.
9. THE REWARD. The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
10. THE ROAD BACK. About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.
11. THE RESURRECTION. At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.
12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR. The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.
Finding Joe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVKmZZN39I
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''Simple things, like in Australia the tradition of shaking hands and kissing on the cheek as a greeting,'' Houli says. ''For us, we can't do that.
Simple things , like putting your body on the line in a contest , " Houli says. " For us , we can't do that "
There...all fixed
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pooe, I don't know how I stuffed the above post up :-[. Anyway you get my gist WP.
yep I did
And I fixed the post ;D
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this has nothing to do with football, move the thread
Agreed. :thumbsup
Footy & religion shouldn't be mixed.
If you wanna pray do it in your own time and get out of our Punt rd end!
That's what I reckon. :cheers
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Footy & religion shouldn't be mixed.
But footy is a RELIGION
Or did my folks lie to me ;D
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this has nothing to do with football, move the thread
It has a lot to do with broadening our base to make it an attractive place to be a member.
In our discussion here it seems to be a total focus on the religion aspect to the exclusion of all else.
This may well be because it seems the focus of Houli's input, but I choose to see the positives in appealing to different cultural POV's.
Think it's all a better basis for marketing than aiming at the Indian community (in India ::)).
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During my years in the Philippines, which is a seriously brain-washed Catholic country (Mindanao Muslims excluded), I was often asked my religion.
Easy reply for me -
"Family, mateship and Richmond".
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Footy & religion shouldn't be mixed.
But footy is a RELIGION
Or did my folks lie to me ;D
So true WP.
I must confess I've prayed to that false footy gods plenty of times over the years at the sacred MCG ground, as I'm sure many have ..... But those gods haven't been good to us loyal tiger fans. :banghead
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Houli, a devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian,
Houli, a proud Australian and devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian with strong Croatian heritage
Great suggestion Smokey. I thought the same thing upon reading the article.
What I took away from the article is that we are a diverse and open-minded bunch down at Tigerland. Maric was keen to learn as much about what it is to be a Muslim to educated himself and to help him understand more about his team mate & friend. Houli seems to have done the same with Marics background.
I try and teach my own kids the same philosophy - learn and listen as much as you can about something and then make your own mind up about it then.
Respecting differences would have saved an infinite amount of ill directed and wasted hatred over history imo.
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I understand this is a touchy subject and we have be careful in what we say, but the question must be asked. Who would make a better falafel between Jamie Oliver and Rouda?
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Houli, a devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian,
A line like this really gets under my skin. By subtle implication and whether intended or not, an ill-thought out line like that can have the effect of saying Houli isn't a proud Australian because he is Muslim. Good journalism or writing would have a better way of getting a point across without making this flawed point - something like:
Houli, a proud Australian and devout Muslim, and Maric, a proud Australian with strong Croatian heritage
That reworded line still gets the same point across and still leads the reader seamlessly to the same place in the article but it doesn't imply anything about either person that is possibly denigrating or misleading. The media are so powerful in this country, I really wish they would think through the things they write sometimes. Unless of course, they meant for the inference to be there.
I agree Smokey - lets face it, clearly they are both proudly Australian - they play the best frickin game in the world and its all thanks to Australia! It's just that they are proud for reasons other than just being Australian.
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A life can be mapped in the context of what Joseph Campbell called the 'Hero's Journey'. It is a theme in all human psyche's no matter what background. That is why we get all warm and fuzzy when disparite characters meet (houli and Maric) in order to vanquish a foe (Collingwood). It is one of the steps in the journey. Where does it come from...who knows. But what I do know is that overlying dogma's just get in the way. Campbell described Shamans/Mystics/Seers/Alchemists as conduits or open hands that led you to esoteric wisdom. Priests/Mullah's closed the hands into fists and said not come through me but to me.
The Hero's Journey:
The Hero's Journey Outline
The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.
Its stages are:
1. THE ORDINARY WORLD. The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
2. THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change.
3. REFUSAL OF THE CALL. The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
4. MEETING WITH THE MENTOR. The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.
5. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD. At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
6. TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES. The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.
7. APPROACH. The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.
8. THE ORDEAL. Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life.
9. THE REWARD. The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
10. THE ROAD BACK. About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.
11. THE RESURRECTION. At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.
12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR. The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.
Finding Joe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVKmZZN39I
Doing the two week creative writing course at Cae mate?
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A life can be mapped in the context of what Joseph Campbell called the 'Hero's Journey'. It is a theme in all human psyche's no matter what background. That is why we get all warm and fuzzy when disparite characters meet (houli and Maric) in order to vanquish a foe (Collingwood). It is one of the steps in the journey. Where does it come from...who knows. But what I do know is that overlying dogma's just get in the way. Campbell described Shamans/Mystics/Seers/Alchemists as conduits or open hands that led you to esoteric wisdom. Priests/Mullah's closed the hands into fists and said not come through me but to me.
The Hero's Journey:
The Hero's Journey Outline
The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.
Its stages are:
1. THE ORDINARY WORLD. The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
2. THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change.
3. REFUSAL OF THE CALL. The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
4. MEETING WITH THE MENTOR. The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.
5. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD. At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
6. TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES. The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.
7. APPROACH. The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.
8. THE ORDEAL. Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life.
9. THE REWARD. The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
10. THE ROAD BACK. About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.
11. THE RESURRECTION. At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.
12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR. The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.
Finding Joe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVKmZZN39I
Doing the two week creative writing course at Cae mate?
Nah....just the lifelong search for meaning.............aren't you?
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Lol nah, but it looks a good choose your own adventure plot, go to paragraph 12 if you wish to feed the Troll ;0)