Friday, July 20, 2007

Personal Myths....

Hello everyone,

I was pondering the second chapter in "Tell Me a Story" while walking around campus and noticed a truck with cameo seat-covers. I thought of how we shape, develop, and promote certain personal myths (as mentioned on pg. 44). Why would someone intentionally purchase cameo seat-covers? Is it so their truck seat will go unnoticed as they approach unsuspecting prey? I imagine not, rather I think that this particular person is attempting to further develop a personal mythology that he/she has already created - that of being a hunter or survivor.

This has caused me to think about the stories I tell that weave the tapestry of who I am, or of who I want to be - the Appalachian farmer, the philosopher, the storyteller, the honest neighbor, the hard-worker, the good son, the faithful husband. How do I promote these images, by telling particular stories.

What stories do you tell yourself and others about who you are?

Seeya all soon.......Josh

2 comments:

Barnabus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Barnabus said...

Josh,
Yours is a good question and has caused me to think. My 'who I am now' personal stories that I tell to myself, friends, family, and others are primarily related to where I have been, and the fun or pain that I met: The plateau that they, and I, now know me to be perched upon. In other words, why am I me?

The personal stories related to 'who I want to be' are focused upon helping those in need of the lessons that I've learned that might ease their movement up the mountains that I have climbed, i.e.divorce, workaholism, weight management, work-related hurdles.

I want to tell personal stories that alleviate their fear of pursuing something that they truly want, but are afraid to encounter due to a heavy backpack loaded by earlier life events that tell them that they are not capable or good enough.