My hero's journey...

In my Art History class we are studying Roman art and discussing the Odyssey. One of our assignments this week was to write a 2 page paper describing a hero's journey that we have taken. After writing this I felt inspired. It did me some good to look back at what I have overcome and how far I have come. It inspired a sense of accomplishment and thankfulness. Here is what I wrote:

I believe that my true hero’s journey began when I became pregnant at the age of 17. I was attending community college and working part time. I was still very much a selfish child only after one’s own enjoyment. When I found out I was pregnant my life changed immediately. The pregnancy and subsequent child would either make me or break me. I had been through some rough times before and knew I could persevere and do what was best for this little life inside of me. I was still living with my parents at the time. Telling my mom was one of the hardest things I had to do. I told her and she took it relatively well. It was decided that the father would move in with me. We tried our best to make things work and come together as a family. I continued to work and go to school even though I was exhausted and achy. I was determined to provide the best that I could for my child. I didn’t want to become another statistic for teenage pregnancy. In order to rise above that, I had to give up my child like ways of self gratification and take up the mantle of motherhood. This process wasn’t something that I was completely conscious of. It was as if there was never another option besides becoming a competent mother. I gave up on a lot of people that I had foolishly thought of as friends. I discarded destructive behaviors.
The pregnancy went along without as much as a hitch. The birth was a completely different story. I was to be induced and was in labor for about two days. I have never experienced a pain so total and agonizing as contractions. I tried to just ride the waves of pain without the aid of pain medication. But, in the end I couldn’t take it. On the second day something happened to pinch the baby’s umbilical cord. I was rushed into surgery for an emergency c-section. He came out blue and not breathing. At the time I didn’t know what was going on. All I knew was that there was some sort of trouble and I hadn’t heard my baby cry. They managed to get him breathing. He was rushed into the neonatal intensive care unit where he was hooked up to machines to help him breathe and basically take care of every bodily function. I was devastated. I thought I was going to lose my little man. Through the whole ordeal I kept the faith that he would triumph over these obstacles, that I would be taking my little boy home soon. I had no doubt that he would be a survivor and fighter just like his mom. He was in NICU for a total of 2 weeks. He made a complete turnaround. It was one of the most difficult things to see my son hooked up to all those machines and the subsequent bruising left by all the needles.
Taking him home was one of the most joyous occasions of my life. My son and I had recovered from such a traumatic experience. We had overcome all the obstacles and had come out on top. There were still worries about his development because of the oxygen that was deprived from his brain. I kept waiting for developmental delay, for some sign of a problem. I was hyper vigilant in regards to every babble, every movement, every gesture that he made. At this time I was still working and the father and I had moved into an apartment of our own. Things were not working out in the relationship department. He was much older than I was but he acted like a child. Granted, I still had a lot of growing up to do, too. Our relationship began to crumble. But, I was determined to try to make it work. I wanted a complete family unit for our son. I never had a functioning father figure in my life and I experienced how devastating that could be. I didn’t want my son to go through what I had. I sacrificed my happiness and sanity chasing this ideal of a perfect family.
When things finally came to a head, I was forced to realize that I could never be a good mother if I wasn’t happy. Just because there is a mother and father in the picture does not make an ideal and perfect environment for a child to thrive in. I left his father and moved back in with an uncle of mine. Throughout this whole ordeal my son blossomed into a happy, well adjusted and intelligent child. We eventually were able to stop going to his developmental checkups. This part of my hero’s journey helped start the transformation into the person I am today. It also helped me realize that some of my ideals were less than perfect. In the end, I was able to see what I really wanted out of life for me and son. I learned self restraint, faith, strength, and kindness. I was rewarded with a beautiful son that was followed by two more wonderful girls. I found a husband who compliments my strengths and fortifies my weaknesses.

I would liken myself to Odysseus. I am like Odysseus because I am strong willed, bound and determined to persevere over all obstacles and do what it right and good. He was out of his element when time and time again he was thrown for a loop. Yet and still he kept his mind and heart pointed towards home. I, too, was out of my element in regards to being a teenage mom. But, I kept focused on my goals. Whenever something of a challenge presented itself to me I vaulted past it. I did not give into the temptations that would prove to be easier. I knew what I wanted for my son and I and nothing would stop me. Odysseus was challenged and tempted time and time again to stray from his chosen path. He stayed true and was rewarded with a life with his loyal wife and son.

When I think of how I would depict myself in regards to my hero’s journey, Friday Kahlo and her many expressive paintings come to mind. For me, she captures the struggles, joys, pains of being so many things to so many people. She is one of my favorite artists. With her style and my hero’s journey in mind I depict myself as sort of mother goddess figure with earth as my skin, and stars as my eyes. I would have pieces of my life and journey connected to me with vines. Being a mother has so many different facets but ultimately you are the center of your family’s universe. I would want to show the nurturing side that I developed by showing myself as an earth mother figure.