I don’t know about you, but this past week was harder than expected. Coming to the end of a campaign feels a lot like being on a treadmill that suddenly comes to a stop. Everything inside you is still moving at a brisk pace but the outside world has slowed to a crawl. Added to the feelings of loss are the very real concerns around what will come. To be clear, fascism has reared its ugly head but for too many, it remains, as they say, “Cloaked in a flag, carrying a Bible.”
For me, the grief is visceral. Decisions have been made by too many people that embraced fear of the “other” over building a better world. And I will be sitting with those feelings for awhile. I need to sit with those feelings. But bubbling to the surface are thoughts around what to do next.
The other day I was blessed to be in a room with people from all different walks of life equally staring into the abyss of the future. Someone commented that it felt very much like a moment from The Lord of the Rings, where the darkness feels overwhelming. But the beauty of that story, as with all stories, is that darkness never wins. For those who live during times of darkness, we have choices to make. We determine to be the light shining in the darkness.
Like those embarking on a mythic quest, we, too, are catapulted into a moment, not of our choosing. Something has happened to us, and we are responding. I want to take a moment to celebrate the response of not returning to “status quo”. I’m willingly collecting my backpack of tools, knowledge, and wisdom to take with me. But perhaps first, it is worth taking stock of what I already have. Perhaps you could grab your backpack too, and check your inventory.
I guess it’s also worth noting that on this quest, I recognize who I am in the story. In fictional lore, characters are often described in terms of elements and in terms of core identities. In our world we have sadly lost this ability as we more easily categorize people according to outward appearance and recognizable talent, usually for purposes of segregation rather than community. We would do well to follow our Dungeons & Dragons, Marvel and fantasy fans here. What characteristics do I have that really are hidden super powers in this moment?
Those who know me would agree that as an element, I’m like water. I flow and run deep. I can become solid, like a glacier, or gentle like a pond. I rather enjoy being like water. The sharpness of rocks does not harm me, and I have to remind myself of this all the time, especially when I feel like I am crashing down upon them. I also think it is good to surround oneself with other elements.
In my story, I would be described further as a “gleaner”. My character easily goes from place to place, finding useful things to share. Ever searching and seeking, the joy comes in the discovery and in the connecting one thing to the next. There is a delight in the surprise. When I think on this further, I also realize that gleaners often follow where others have been, picking up the overlooked, the discarded, the forgotten pieces. Perhaps that is what I do too. I am always drawn to the people and places too often dismissed. Those in a hurry for relevance miss the very best, I think.
In the days, weeks and months ahead, I will embrace more seriously who I am as water and as a gleaner. In a modern context, what does that look like? For now, it is forging paths between people and places while finding and sharing resources and opportunities. If you too are finding yourself on a similar quest, when you are ready, grab your backpack and discover who you are meant to be on this journey. The beauty of the mythic quest is that it is never alone, and in fact, the majority of stories are about discovering who you are, who your fellow travelers are, and the importance of why you find yourselves together for “such a time as this.”
