The Hero’s Journey
we are already found; already truly, entirely, messily, marvelously who we were born to be ~ Anne Lamont
Real bravery is not an absence of fear; real bravery is pressing on to do the right thing even though you may be very afraid. Real heroism is putting others first, even at your own peril. Real gallantry is showing courageous behaviour, and especially politely protecting and cherishing all women ~ no matter what.
Our modern word Hero derives from the classical Greek and Latin word Hērōs meaning “protector” or “defender” or “to safeguard”. A classical Hero is a warrior who lives and dies in the pursuit of honour. In ancient legend, How Horatius Held the Bridge as in the poem by Thomas Babington, and the 300 at the pass of Thermopylae. In modern times the first responders who went into the burning Twin Towers are rightly thought of as Heroes.
The journey of an individual towards selfless heroism follows a pattern, oft-repeated in myths, legends, history, by Hollywood. A relatively ordinary man, (heroes are almost always men), with more than his fair share of flaws and character defects, is thrust unexpectedly into an extraordinary situation. More often than not a group of innocent individuals are threatened with serious injury and death by some very evil people, or a malevolent force of nature.
This ordinary man is forced by circumstances, and probably against his will, to step up and save the potential victims from harm. Usually there is a woman, a romantic interest, somewhere in the background.
It will turn out that this reluctant hero has an unexpected and previously unrevealed skill, ability, and strength of character which will allow him to face down the bad guys, and thus save the day.
Our hero will probably suffer greatly, and be badly injured during his journey into heroism ~ sometimes he may die. Usually there won’t be a romantic reconciliation with the woman he loves ~ instead he will metaphorically ride off into the sunset, nursing uncomplaining his physical, emotional, and spiritual pain.
Hollywood has innumerable examples of this hero’s journey; High Noon, Die Hard, North by Northwest, Alien, (Ripley was a heroine), Star Wars, Shane, Valdez is Coming…. More importantly, this story is played out many times over in real life. And yet, these stories almost never have a happy ending.
Some say that true happiness is to have no ambition, and yet to work like a horse as if you had every ambition. And that it is to live apart from the cares of another, not need her, and yet still to love her. All I know is that true happiness is being wherever you are, and whomsoever you truly are, and not let that scare you.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
it’s not the age honey,
it’s the mileage
Tunes on Tuesday ~ Blues Brothers
it’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, it’s dark out, and we’re wearing sunglasses
Not only do I like the movie, I also like Ray Charles, and this song, and the street dancers.
Please listen and dance responsibly.
The Men in Black? I’ve seen Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith do it better.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
if you hit Route 66 in Chicago
eventually you’ll end up here
Political Correctness
Political Correctness is merely bullying by another name.
It seems that I’m really not ‘politically correct’ ~ if what you mean by political correctness is fitting in with whatever is perceived as the ‘right’ way to believe, think, speak, and act by whatever minority group holds sway. For example; I like the film The Damn Busters, about a WWII RAF raid on Germany ~ that even though the word ‘Nigger’ is used 12 times in the movie, and I have no problem with that. (Nigger was the name of Wing Commander Guy Gibson’s black Labrador dog.)
Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organises hatred. ~ Jacques Barzun.
On the other hand, I firmly believe that all women, (including whatever two letter acronym is appropriate), deserve to be treated with the utmost consideration and respect. And, that sometimes creates a cognitive dissonance for me when a woman acts like a lot less than a lady; smoking, swearing, getting drunk, using drugs, cheating on her partner, picking up guys in bars, fucking having extra-relationship flings with younger men, and having multiple sexual partners. But then, who said the world has to be perfect?
If the first words out of your mouth are to cry ‘political correctness!’, chances are very, very high that you are in fact part of the problem. ~ N. K. Jemisin.
I’m mentioning all this because of a couple of things I saw on television.
Firstly, I’ve been enjoying re-watching some old Carry On Films. These bawdy British movies are so incredibly politically incorrect it’s almost surreal. They feature very attractive, very well endowed young women, often portrayed as dumb blondes, often played by the legendary, and very funny, Barbara Windsor.
Secondly, and very seriously, I caught an episode of a US comedy / crime / drama series I quite like. The dramatic hook in this episode was that there was a person of interest, and nobody in the police department could figure out what this guy was saying, or which obscure Eastern European country he came from.
It turned out that this guy was an Englishman, a Geordie ~ a person born in the North East near the River Tyne. Some would say that I’m a Geordie, although technically I’m more of a Mackem.
Having said that, even I couldn’t understand a fucking damn word this particular character uttered. Whatever accent he thought he was imitating it certainly wasn’t Geordie.
No American actor can imitate any British accent whatsoever, so why the fuck hell did the producer of this show go down the road of totally pissing off every English person born North of the Watford Gap? Ignorance and Stupidity.
There is no way the same producer would have made the same kind of mistake with any American minority, especially someone from the Gay, Lesbian, Transsexual, (whatever two letter acronym is appropriate), community. If he had he would have been sacked, pilloried, and remorselessly attacked.
But then, who gives a fuck about white Englishmen like me? (And by the way, I am NOT British, I’m English.)
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
TV can’t make mistakes when portraying lesbian BDSM
but it’s OK to make fun of Geordies
Things People Do that I Detest this Christmas
Some people are naturally thoughtless and insensitive.
Here are some things they do that annoy and upset me, especially at Yuletide;
- Say to an Englishman; ‘Have a Nice Day…..’ just how meaninglessly idiotic and uncaring is that?
- Ride a bicycle on a footpath….. it’s stupid and dangerous.
- Think that sending Christmas Cards is just a waste of their time.
- Think the Holiday Season is completely insincere and pointless.
- Idiots who let their dogs foul footpaths, parks, and streets ~ without properly clearing up afterwards.
- Smokers who just litter their used matches and butts.
- Inebriated people who think what they say is at all interesting.
- Younger people who drive a German car ~ more often than not they are very aggressive and very bad drivers.
- People who play their in-car music too loud, with a widow open.
- Writing a blog post like this is not cool ~ but as it goes, I was a little annoyed.
And finally, and especially, the criminal imbeciles who think it’s fun to fly a radio-controlled drone anywhere near an airport, or aircraft. If you do that in England you will go to prison for 5 years.
Those kinds of things are apt to turn me from a cool and kind, Dr. Jekyll sort of guy into a very angry and dangerous Mr. Hyde.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
read the book
Mr. Hyde was far more dangerous than ever portrayed in a movie
Monochrome Monday ~ England
Any mature and educated Englishman will recognise these images.
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jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Dixon of Dock Green
‘evnin all
Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe
Desire is the history that drives the engine…..
In Albuquerque I went to see an old railway locomotive being restored by a bunch of unpaid enthusiasts ~ older and interesting guys.
It turned out that the massive 450 ton engine ran on the AT & SF, and how cool is that?
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
go to New Mexico and see this
Tunes on Tuesday ~ Casablanca
Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman ~ As Time Goes By
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In Casablanca, Rick never said; ‘Play it again Sam’, but he should have
Women can drive a man to remember, and to think
all that may make a guy so take just one more drink
and booze does no good, but his love is treacherous
he can do better, and he will always have memories
I never truly told a friend how much I loved her, and I should have.
~
jack collier jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Songs on Saturday ~ Billy Ocean
I get knocked down, but I get up again
you are never gonna keep me down
Some say that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And, it’s not how many times you get knocked down that matters, but how many times you get up again. All I know is that when you’re walking through Hell, you’d better keep going.
From the movie The Jewel of the Nile.
Please listen responsibly.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
get off your damn ass and get out of your comfort zone
Songs on Saturday ~ Billy Joel
There are no moralities nor rules to be found in arson.
This is a live version of the song ~ not the single release. I like the raw energy, and the pictures. (The lyrics are cool too.)
You know what? If you can’t handle me at my very worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my very best. You have lit the spark in my bonfire heart, and I don’t want to get burned again.
Please listen responsibly. And, never, ever play with fire.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
“I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot…..”
“give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world…..”
Tunes on Tuesday ~ Shania Twain
Never try to impress a woman ~ she’s seen and heard it all before.
What’s likely to impress a woman, and what isn’t?
Outside of a new love’s first bliss, I don’t know any really cool woman who isn’t going to think this line is totally sick making; The darkest hour of my day is the hour in which I don’t get to see you. ~ Amit Kalantri. It’s a cute line, but to me it’s not cool, and not impressive.
Actually, that may not be quite true, it’s all about the mood, the moment, the time, the place, and the delivery. But, in my experience, a line like that is just trying too hard.
In general terms, the harder a guy tries to impress a cool, mature, together woman, the less impressed she is likely to be. The thing is, boys have been trying to impress her ever since they first noticed that she was a girl ~ so you’ve got twenty years of her cynicism to overcome.
Unless you’re Steve McQueen forget about impressing her, and just be true to yourself. If that’s not enough then politely say goodbye ~ some say there’s always a nicer, prettier, sexier girl just around the corner. Me I’m not always so certain.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
Next to Snoopy, who was ever cooler?
