Call to Adventure

Joseph Campbell in his epic The Hero with a Thousand Faces lays out what he called the monomyth. Almost all fiction follows a similar story arc--from the story of Jesus' ministry in the New Testament to the journey of Luke Skywalker through the Star Wars saga.

There are basically four stages of the arc. We start out with the hero in his known world with life as status quo. Jesus grows up in Nazareth the son of a carpenter. Luke grows up on Tatooine with his uncle and aunt.

Then comes the call to adventure. In the case of Jesus, he is baptized by John, the heavens open and a voice declares,  "This is my beloved son. in whom I am well pleased." (KJV Matthew 3:16) A new reality begins for Jesus. No longer is he simply a carpenter from Nazareth.

Luke's uncle and aunt are killed, and he is left alone in the wilderness. Obi-wan Kenobi enters his life and he is called upon a quest to overcome the Empire.

In both cases, the two could conceivably abandon the call and stay in familiar territory. Of course, neither do and the adventure begins. On their new adventure, they encounter all kinds of challenges, tasks and opportunities. 

They are assisted by others along the way: Jesus with his twelve disciples; Luke with the help of Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi-wan and the rest of the resistance.

Ultimately, Jesus goes on to become the Savior of the world. Luke goes on to defeat the empire.

In the end, they cross over into a new world.

Joseph Campbell calls this story structure the monomyth because the basic arc is found in most stories throughout time. From adventure tales to romance. And from short stories to epic series.

Each of us, in turn,  is called upon to embark upon our own adventure. We have the choice to make of staying in our familiar territory or entering an unknown world with unknown challenges where, ultimately, we may lose the life we once knew. 

In a way, our adventure can be seen as an internal struggle. At least, the battle that decides if we stay or if we go on the adventure happens within the mind of the character--or within us. In most fictional stories, the choice seems almost inevitable. 

The Clash's song Should I Stay or Should I Go puts it well:  "If I go there will be trouble. And if I stay there will be double."

In our own lives, though, the choice isn't so clear. To embark upon our own adventure, we need to leave our comfortable existence behind. Frequently, this means calling into question the world we have accepted as being the real world. The way things should be. The call to adventure--on the other hand--may only be a weak glimpse into the way things could be. In life, there are no guarantees. If we stay, we believe we are more likely to enjoy what we have become accustomed to. The familiar routines. The accepted business practices. The established reputation.

After all, it is the known world. The world we have come to accept as our own.

But as in the Clash song, there will be trouble if we stay.

For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’ - John Greenleaf Whittier, Maud Miller

Those missed opportunities may simply be things we wish we could have done--a regret. But they could also be a better business, more satisfaction and fulfillment, more adventure. Or the adventure may be making the necessary changes that will save an audience, a neighborhood, a community, or the world. 

Ultimately, the choice to embark upon our own adventure is up to us.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?