The hero goes on a journey…

As mentioned recently, fellow Supernatural Underground-er, Amanda Arista’s post-series on Living Heroically was one of my favourites of 2014. In it, Amanda followed the steps of the classic Hero’s Journey, starting with the opening gambit of: “But I Don’t Wanna,” said Every Hero Ever.

Yesterday, when looking ahead to 2015, I mentioned that 2015 will be “be the year when the insurance repairs to the earthquake damage on our house should at least start, if not be finished.” And that it’s going to be a big job, but that it might also be fun to blog about it, using the steps of the hero’s journey in my own personal “year of living heroically.” Maybe…

So why, heroically? Well, here’s the thing, exactly as Amanda set out in Step 1 for the classic epic hero’s journey: I really “don’t wanna.” 😉

A disaster of magnitude…

Obviously, I “do” want to get our house repaired: that, after all, is why I’ve been paying insurance premiums all thse years. But given the size of the disaster in Christchurch and the number of repairs and rebuilds needing to be undertaken, fixing houses like ours are taking a long time—up to a year seems to be “not unusual” at present.

The repairs required for our house are of such magnitude that we will have to move out and find somewhere else to live, in a city where accommodation is in short supply and consequently rents and house prices have both soared. So there’s that.

Where much got twisted…

But the “I don’t wanna” also ties into the level of disruption, when I have WALL4 to write and the book writing happens best when I have uninterrupted time to concentrate on the story… Not to mention having to come to try and educate myself about geotechnical and structural reports, and post-earthquake building requirements, and scopes-of-works and all sorts of other things associated with a major building project.

Which, dear readers, I would Never Voluntarily Have Signed Up For. I know some folk love building and renovating houses and spend a lot of time doing it, but I am Not One Of Those People. I would much rather Just Write My Books than do house renovations.

But the earthquake of February 22, 2011 took all that out of my hands, leaving both significant foundation damage and a twisted house, so repaired it must be. Nonetheless, from where I’m standing right now the terrain is definitely terra incognita—and there could be dragons. Or taniwha. Or both.

So I am in exactly the same case as the hero on Amanda Arista’s epic journey when she wrote:

“…[When]…refusing the call…the hero…[is]…not just saying, “No I don’t want to,” but more along the lines of “I’m afraid because of …” That dot-dot-dot is the real part of themselves that they will have to overcome in the adventure ahead.”

Like the disruption and distraction from the Writing Mission mentioned above, and having to educate myself about the process and take personal responsibility for ensuring the job is done right. Now it maybe that I love the process so much I turn into a Serial Renovator and I certainly think it behoves me to be open to enjoying the adventure and maybe even Having Fun with it. But still, I could have related to being a Farm Gal Without An Epic Destiny, to be perfectly honest…

The epic journey begins…

But like all epic heroes and heroines, I must shoulder my Duty and Embrace Destiny and step out onto the Road of Adventure that Runs Ever On…Which happens today, in fact, because today is the day for the ever-important Scope of Works, which will determine the full parameters of the repair project.

Unlike Bilbo, however, when he ran out of Bag End to join the company of Thorin Oakenshield, I shall be sure to have a pocket handkerchief on me as the Epic Journey of Earthquake Repairs begins. 😉