The power of the myth

It occurred to me after I had posted my last blog that Camelot is, and always was a mythical place. Then it occurred to me that, on the other hand, if we have no stories and/or myths to capture our imaginings we can often truly be lost.

Another consideration, however, is that when we project our hopes and dreams onto others, particularly our leaders such as Obama, we oftentimes sacrifice what might be beautiful realities for stories. Later, if fate does not, first, conspire to do away with the projected object, opportunities may arise in the course of human affairs that allow for the myth and reality to align themselves.

Perhaps this is the opportunity that the, so-called millennials, have at hand, these days, as some of the more outspoken take Obama to task for their disappointments with him and, in the process, allow themselves and their hero to do a significant bit of growing up with it all.

Real deal or not, myths 
exert a powerful force.

It was truly a great loss that those of us who came of age in the 1960s never had the opportunity for this type of reckoning with JFK. So much of our reconciling of the man with the myth had to be done in our minds without the real person. I also missed this opportunity with my father who died when I was still early in my adult maturation.

Thus I think that It may be an enormous gift that today’s young voters and Obama still have so many years ahead, G-d willing, to settle things up, regardless of who wins this election and who does not.