The Chosen One-Personal Narrative
When I was two years old, Zoo Tycoon and one of my older sisters taught me to read. Immediately, I was consumed by a love for the freedom this ability offered me. New worlds, realms, and possibilities were now within my grasp. At the age of five, I dove into the Magic Tree House books, following Jack and Annie back into the past to meet my favorite creatures (dinosaurs and unicorns) face-to-face.
As my ability to read grew, so did the size of the books I consumed, although their subject matter still tended to lean towards the fantastical. Imagining myself as the knight, the hero, or the Chosen One became the building blocks of my play and daydreaming.
Maybe something appealed to me about fiction, about places where anything is possible and …show more content…
At the same time, my conviction of my role as the Chosen One waned. No acceptance letter to Hogwarts came, no lion confronted me during the time I spent in the closet, no maiden found herself in need of my rescuing.
I had to come to terms with the fact that my life was not destined to be part of some magical plot. Superpowers and magic wands were not going to solve all of my problems; the time had come to take them into my own hands. But when I accepted that I could not be magical, I decided I could make myself extraordinary nonetheless.
I embarked on my own version of the Hero’s Journey, venturing from the known qualities of childhood into the unknown of being an adult. My quest began with the words, “Your mommy has cancer. She’s dying.” It was my call to enter the grown-up world. My journey was not without aid: helpers and mentors have appeared along the way in the forms of older siblings, teachers, friends, and community leaders. My siblings taught me to love the people in my life, despite the looming threat of their imminent loss. Teachers through the years taught me the laws of grammar, math, and science I needed to understand the world around me, but also how to interact with adults in dozens of contexts. They taught me to ask for help when I need it most. The family I chose for myself, my friends, aided me in navigating the social hurdles of being a young adult - communication
As my ability to read grew, so did the size of the books I consumed, although their subject matter still tended to lean towards the fantastical. Imagining myself as the knight, the hero, or the Chosen One became the building blocks of my play and daydreaming.
Maybe something appealed to me about fiction, about places where anything is possible and …show more content…
At the same time, my conviction of my role as the Chosen One waned. No acceptance letter to Hogwarts came, no lion confronted me during the time I spent in the closet, no maiden found herself in need of my rescuing.
I had to come to terms with the fact that my life was not destined to be part of some magical plot. Superpowers and magic wands were not going to solve all of my problems; the time had come to take them into my own hands. But when I accepted that I could not be magical, I decided I could make myself extraordinary nonetheless.
I embarked on my own version of the Hero’s Journey, venturing from the known qualities of childhood into the unknown of being an adult. My quest began with the words, “Your mommy has cancer. She’s dying.” It was my call to enter the grown-up world. My journey was not without aid: helpers and mentors have appeared along the way in the forms of older siblings, teachers, friends, and community leaders. My siblings taught me to love the people in my life, despite the looming threat of their imminent loss. Teachers through the years taught me the laws of grammar, math, and science I needed to understand the world around me, but also how to interact with adults in dozens of contexts. They taught me to ask for help when I need it most. The family I chose for myself, my friends, aided me in navigating the social hurdles of being a young adult - communication