My Monomyth
Call to Adventure – The journey that I have to taken to get here to IUP is by far by biggest call to adventure thus far in life. Between wanting to reunite with friends after the previous couple of years I’d had along with the fact that I wanted a good education pulled me day by day to apply, which I eventually did.
Refusal of the Call – That’s not to say it wasn’t without a little controversy. Even after being accepted in January of 2008, just 7 months later over the summer I nearly changed my mind and went back to the city. A lot of this decision I believe was based on a subconscious effort to run away from something I didn’t know the outcome to.
Supernatural Aide – My biggest motivation for ending up at IUP was my stepfather, who, like he had when he entered my life 3 years prior, pushed and encouraged me to stay on this path, ensuring me that it was the right one. This psychological motivation in itself was extremely helpful.
First Threshold – My first threshold was easily the first day of class. It took everything I had to get up that day and get to class. This wasn’t because I was tired, but because everything ahead of me was going to be something new and uncomfortable, and I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to face it, or could face it for that matter.
Belly of the Whale – My belly of the whale moment happened around week 3 of my first semester at IUP. Being a perfectionist in school, I would spend hours a day studying and doing tedious preparation to get ready for my classes while my roommates would be out having a social life and living the college experience. I had my first big exams all in one week and it felt as if the world around me was swallowing me whole and there was no one there to save me. This experience sort of set the tone however for what to expect, and showed me how to adjust my schedule, and my mentality so that I could balance school and life a little more easily.
Road of Trials – On my road of trials I faced many new things. Being 21 by the time I had even started here made it difficult my first semester to bond with my peers because I wasn’t fresh out of high school nor was I living the dorm experience so I had very little in common with them. Other trials included balancing relationships at home while giving school my all, and managing my money in a way that could let me pay my bills, but also enjoy my life.
Meeting with the Goddess – As always, I turned to my mother when I thought that the world was turning on me, turning inn on me, or crashing down around me. She was the one person that always listened to my problems, and reassured me in the end that everything would be okay.
Temptation from the Path – Because of the fact that I got to IUP when I was 21, my biggest temptation was staying in on Thursdays the night before a huge exam instead of going out and drinking with friends at the bars. Other temptations I faced included meaningless sexual relationships and even smaller temptations like sleeping in.
Atonement with the Father – This is something I still struggle with, and that is the relationship with my biological father which became strained a few years ago. It was difficult to put balance my stubborn nature and the guilt I’d feel from not talking to him, and therefore one day sent him a text that simply said, “I just want to tell you I love you.” I left it at that, but at that moment, the weight of the world was lifted off of my shoulders.
Apotheosis - This moment occurred midway through my first semester at IUP when I took a different approach to my classes where I decided that instead of cramming, I’d look over my notes a little bit each night, and study for an hour or so the night before an exam. Upon taking the exam I saw that my approach had worked and my grades had improved. This isn’t to say that I no longer cram for exams because at times I do, but more times than not I take my newly found approach and it alleviates a lot of my stress.
The Ultimate Boon – I use the knowledge I gained during my apotheosis and share it with my friends when I hear them talk about how they’re stressed because they have a huge exam the next day. I give tips as to my approach to everything I do in life if I think it makes things a little less stressful and a little more enjoyable for that matter, as it makes my overall journey a lot easier.
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