My Monomyth

Sailing into the Sunset

2009-06-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Goslings and newness

2009-05-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

McDonaldization - trickster

2009-05-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

I really love to see social contrasts and so when I walked past this scene on Robson Street, I was drawn in. The car spoke to me of a time when life was less hurried. It evoked visions of adventures in the countryside and picnic baskets packed with all kinds of delicious epicurean surprises.

In the window, Rich Uncle Pennybags announces that you can win $100K a day if you play McDonald's monopoly. I do believe, that the grand prize winners would not frequent McDonald's after their win. However, they would be permanently impacted by the McDonaldization of our society.

According to George Ritzer, the four main dimensions of McDonaldization are:

Efficiency - The optimum method of completing a task. The rational determination of the best mode of production. Individuality is not allowed.
Calculability - Assessment of outcomes based on quantifiable rather than subjective criteria. In other words, quantity over quality. They sell the Big Mac, not the Good Mac.
Predictability - The production process is organized to guarantee uniformity of product and standardized outcomes. All shopping malls begin to look the same and all highway exits have the same assortment of businesses.
Control - The substitution of more predictable non-human labor for human labor, either through automation or the deskilling of the work force.

Heron at Stanley Park

2009-05-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

"I am not a visionary, I claim to be a practical idealist."

Mohandas Gandhi

Why Dragonflies?

2009-04-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune of being befriended by a very courageous and inspirational woman. She was grieving her daughter Jessie who, due to depression and an eating disorder, had died at the age of 20.
During Jessie's memorial service, the subject of dragonflies came up. They are a fascinating symbol of transcendence and translucence; existing as a magical conduit between murky water and shifting air. Their lives are too short.

Friends and well-wishers began to think of Jessie when they saw dragonflies. They would often buy gifts for the family that depicted this special symbol. I photographed some of these gifts and made this collage.

It is a reminder to me not to be limited by illusions, but rather to to see the kindness and caring that reflects a brilliant inner light. It is important to be present and aware, and to embrace each moment. Life itself might be the greatest illusion of all.

http://www.jessieshope.org/3.html

My Monomyth

2008-09-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

I chose to call this blog "My Monomyth" because it really is about my journey through this world. Sometimes called the "hero's journey", the patterns of a monomyth are universal. There is a "sympathetic hero on a vital quest against insurmountable odds." All over the world and back through time, people exist as heros and villains, new life and old wisdom, feminine and masculine. We harbour this in the depths of our souls.

Most astounding is that these patterns are universal, signifying an interconnected vision of humanity. We all share the same basic needs and values. We encounter the same basic struggles to find meaningful activities in our lives and joyful connection to each other. Carl Jung called this "a reservoir of the experiences of the species" or collective unconscious.

Joseph Campbell described the patterns of the monomyth in "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." For a more in-depth look, check out The Matrix-Joseph Campbell Monomyth.