Exposing Mythology: Introduction
Everyone has a story from which they live their lives. You may not think so, but you do. By story I mean that there are certain presuppositions that influence the way we live our lives. I am a male, I am a Christian, I am married, I can't see without contacts or glasses. I lose my breath from climbing the stairs, though I used to be able to play outside all day without affect. All of these things contribute to the overall picture of reality in which I associate with others and deal with myself.
The idea of story has been really helpful to me on a lot of levels, but that is only somewhat related to what I wanted to post about. The main thing that's been on my mind lately is this:
What if there are aspects of the story from which I live that are completely mythological?
Here I mean mythology in the purest sense (not C.S. Lewis' version of it) meaning complete fiction. An expectation, if you will, of something that has no real basis in objective reality--akin to having Harry Potter show up in the Lord of the Rings. It just wouldn't happen.
It profoundly disturbs me when I realize one of these myths has been given free reign to ape reality in my life. Whenever this happens, I need to just call it for what it is, dismiss the fiction and begin living from truth.
Thus begins what I hope will be a continuing series on this blog called "Exposing Mythology." I will expose myths because I am tired of living by them. I hope this will also create opportunities for others to share parts of their own stories that have given way to mythology.
Labels: Mythology
posted by timmer k. at
12:49 PM
5 Comments:
tim-
well, there you go again, picking apart the well-raveled fabric of reality. Should I teach you to knit, just in case?
By
Anonymous, at 10:32 PM
and I say, keep picking Tim.
By
Joe, at 11:37 PM
Great topic. The hard thing about myths is that even when you recognize it you still live by it. What needs to happen is a trading in of false stories for true ones. This is why sharing stories is so crucial.
So here's a myth for you-marriage. I catch myself thinking that once I get married I'll be a better person, a better Christian, a better whatever. It's the myth that says the perfect relationship exists and it wreaks havoc on me. I've pushed away some quality relationships because of it. This myth has arisen in part because of the conservative backlash against casual dating and such (Joshua Harris anyone?)
So maybe the story to replace this is commitment. I've been thinking more lately in terms of commiting to someone imperfect and asking the same in return. It seems to me that the ideal realtionship is a myth but commitment is more tangible, more real.
By
Jerod Lucius, at 11:32 AM
Jerod--that's an awesome idea. You need to write it up and put it on your blog. I'll link you for my series. Let's see it, brother!!
By
timmer k., at 12:04 PM
Nice, I like where Timmer is taking this and Jerod I very much like your thoughts on the perfect relationship being a myth and that story commitment can be a meaningful reality. Cool, I look forward to where this is going.
By
Post_Fidelitas, at 2:45 PM
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