I was surprised to find out how relatable the Joseph’s Campbell interview sequence was.
When I think of stories that influence my way of being and shape my life path, they are stories of harsh and quick growing up, almost “rags to riches” narratives.
Both of my parents come from troubled households. My dad was brought up in alcoholic family, and left his family house when he was 12 to live with his grandmother. Ever since he was a young boy he was fascinated by cinema and wanted to become a film director. His parents never supported aspirations as they seemed to appear too abstract to them. He applied to Film School 8 times before getting accepted. He has spent 8 years trying to prove himself and his parents that he is capable of the dream that once seemed to be too big. Once he got in, my mother got pregnant. My father spent the university years travelling between the cities – handing in submissions on time while taking care of me and my mother. I’m too young to remember, but they tend to emphasise that during that period of time we were poor as “church mices” (polish expression to describe the state of poverty). Despite the difficult circumstances, he has spent another 8 years taking up jobs he was overqualified until he became not only a film director but also script writer. He afforded us life, my grandparents has never even dreamed of.
My mum didn’t have it any easier. Her father passed away while her mom was pregnant with her, and similarly to my dad she has lived in the alcoholic and abusive household. When she turned 15 my grandmother abandoned her two daughters and flew to Germany. Ever since, she was forced to triple the speed of growing up, taking up multiple jobs to survive. However, she was always good with words. She has had a dream to become a writer and became her bachelor in Polish literature. Her new milestone in life didn’t last too long, as she got pregnant with me. However, at the same time, she was doing her waitressing job and her some of the customers happened to be local newspaper editors who has given her a job after short words exchange. The story repeats, she has been working endless hours while balancing raising up a new born. She afforded me life, my grandmother has never even dreamed of.
And then there is me. I would love to have my hero story too. Possibly, for that reason I have left my family home at the age of 19. I was hungry for adventure, and new challenges. My story didn’t have as many bumps – I was lucky to be fully financially supported by my parents during my first year in London. I have lived in questionable conditions for the last 5 years and had to learn how to tolerate sharing communal areas with others. I have experienced humbling post-graduate job search. I have done multiple retail jobs. I have struggled with demanding paper work on my own. But because I have had a strong support system and basic needs covered I don’t think I could call classify myself under the same category of heroes with thousand of faces.
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