[sunbug]

I know John Bucher is juggling many things within his own journey as you say Stephen.
But I would say to John: I enjoyed your essay very much! And love the way you balance the collective and the individual journey!

I also love the way you include the more than human on the planet around us and under our feet. Especially  as more is learned about ecosystems and even some hints of consciousness in other living beings.

I mentioned above to Stephen.
But how do we define solitude with that in mind?
We seem to always be part of or amongst other collectives in life all the time.

But you emphasized isolation. So that is the need for human connection.
Could it be that isolation is our feeling of disconnection? Apologies, think you have already said this in your essay. Grin.

What of the irony of feeling lonely in a crowd as well?

Is it the deeper interaction we crave? With other humans? With something More than ourselves alone?

 

When you say a call of adventure for Society, I understand that as a call of adventure to humanity, humanity on spaceship earth or the collective of humanity.
Love it!
This is more than the village compounds. It’s about the humans within them. The humans on the planet!
The collective call, such as seeing the earth from the moon!
Joseph Campbell definitely referenced that and he emphasized that what myth might come would need to be talking about the whole planet and everyone on it!
So there is the great collective! Beautiful!
I did want to ask (John and Stephen) about Campbell’s other paradoxical take on this.
It seems as though after Campbell mentions the “collective” earth from moon view, he still emphasizes or predicts that smaller groups (in ones, twos or threes) will be metaphorically entering the forest. 
When I read this, it left me with the impression that Campbell had a preference for the idea of smaller groups taking “the journey.”

My first thought was his own experiences or how he felt about religion (question? the bigger the group the more likely they will behave like a religion?)

Or maybe he was bringing the balance between the Collective journey on Spaceship Earth and the individual journeys?

Or for humor: the bigger the group will the forest be trampled?
But not necessarily as evidenced by your experiences with Rainbow Stephen.:-)

And it is true, there are many myths stories with small collective bands from the Fellowship in Lord of the Rings.

To Dorothy and friends in Oz.
To Spaceship Enterprise!
Though Kirk certainly could be a stubborn trickster but it was also needed at times!

In all these stories as already said…there is a balance between the collective hero bands and also the stories of the individuals within them.

When it comes to isolation, who felt more isolation than Eowyn?
But look at her story arc. My goodness.

And Faramir too. They come together but their stories are woven into the larger tale.

Sometimes, I have wondered if the Great Collective of which we are all a part is a Story? The story which connects us all as we come and go in the tale? We are the story. The earth and everyone on it. Your essay suggests that to me!

So as you say John the question is if we will answer that call to adventure when we hear that special  “phone?”

It is a dangerous business going out all of our doors…

But adventure may await…

And I love the idea of how adventures sometimes are not just about some physical goals, but also have the capacity and potential to awaken compassion inside.

Thank you for an excellent essay John!

Here is to the call!! To one and all!