[Stephen Gerringer]

Oh Shaheda,

Thank you for sharing such sweet memories of our days in the  JCMG (Joseph Campbell Mythology Group) on Yahoo – which, speaking of mentors, is where Robert Walter “found” me (you may recall that day when the JCMG was selected as the “Editor’s Pick” on Yahoo and BOOM! – the next day our membership ballooned, our intimate, informal salon-like setting inundated with a thousand new members walking through the door and getting into fights and flame wars with each other; that brought us to JCF’s attention, as Bob Walter and David Kudler wrestled over whether or not to shut us down for IP violations and riding Joe’s chi).

Seems your post also answers the first question I posed John: is it possible to be a mentor and not know it? I didn’t consciously think of myself as mentoring – I just loved that I had found friends who shared my enthusiasm for myth, dream, creativity, imagination, art, story, soul, and Joseph Campbell’s mythological perspective.

I really appreciate your kind words.

I also appreciate your memory of your Uncle, in response to Marianne’s question about stories of mentors and mentees who are opposites at first – and once again, whether myth or lore or one’s own life, I am reminded again there is such power in Story.