One of the greatest honors I have had in my career was being asked to speak at a graduation ceremony. What makes this event even more special for me is that I was asked by a class in a school that I had moved away from – 2 years after. I had these students as sophomores. It was a small school, so I was the English teacher for every single graduate.
One thing that I always end up teaching in the Heroic Journey. It is in all cultures and in almost every piece of literature, movie, and TV show. (Here is what I used to teach it in my class.) It is something that really connects and resonates with students.
So, I based my speech on the Heroic Journey, but it isn’t the traditional take on the Hero’s Journey.
Here is the speech I wrote for them.
I can’t even begin to express how wonderful it was to be asked to come back and speak today. I was humbled and may have even cried a little bit. It meant so much to me because sometimes you never know as a teacher if you really make a difference in any of the lives of the students you teach. So, my dear sophomores, thank you for asking me to come back.
As a little bit of background, I currently teach Mythology classes. So, everyday I get to study, teach, and talk about great heroes. What is interesting about studying heroes from countries around the world is that every hero goes through what Joseph Campbell called “The Heroic Journey.” And this is what I want to speak to you about today.
Now, I could give a really cheesy and cliche graduation speech full of quotes about “being the hero of your own story” or “A true hero is measured not by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” (Thank you Disney). But I don’t want to talk about the hero. I want to talk about everyone else on the journey.
You see, there can only be one hero – only one Hercules, one Frodo Baggins, one Harry Potter, or one Luke Skywalker. And I’m not that person. In fact, most of us aren’t those people. We live quiet lives. We don’t defeat forces of evil in the universe or complete tasks that free the Greek World from monsters. No, I’m just Lesli. A high school English teacher. But that doesn’t mean that the role I play in this world isn’t significant or influential.
So, instead of talking about the hero, I want to talk about the Mentor, the Ally, and the Saviors in the Heroic Journey. They have minor roles and are often forgotten. Yet in my study of myths and hero stories, I have decided over the years, that these people play such important roles that they deserve to have a little time in the spotlight.
Now I am going to use examples from myths and pop culture, particularly Harry Potter – please indulge me in my nerdiness for the next few minutes.
First, every hero meets his mentor before beginning the journey. This mentor is described as “a wise man, who gives the hero tools needed to accomplish the journey.” Can you imagine Froddo without Gandalf, Luke Skywalker without Obi Wan Kanobe, or Harry Potter without Dumbledore?
My dear graduates, look out into this audience. These have been your mentors. For the last 18 years, they have cared for you, taught you, worried about you, loved you, rejoiced with you, and are proud of you.
But I’m not just talking about your parents, although they are the most important mentors you have in life. No, I’m also including your teachers, coaches, church leaders, the parents of your friends, and fellow classmates as mentors. They have helped you to get to this point. Look at how many people are here to support you.
My question for you is what kind of mentor have you been? How have you helped your teammates, friends, and underclassmen? And How are you going to help others in the future?
Next we have allies. But with that also comes enemies. The thing about Allies and Enemies is that you don’t always know right away if someone is your ally or your enemy. Professor Snape is the perfect example. The role of the ally is to be there for our hero. This is the sidekick and we all know that every good hero needs a sidekick. Can you imagine Gilgamesh without Enkidu, King Arthur without Lancelot, or Batman without Robbin?
There will be times in all of our lives where we will need a friend – a true friend. One who has our best interests in mind. One who is willing to step out of the spotlight and help the hero shine. It takes a humble person to do this. Even the greatest of the Greek Heroes Hercules needed an ally. After Hera caused a violent madness to come upon Hercules, he did the unthinkable. He killed his wife and children. In the myth, Hercules is brought so low by this that he wants to kill himself. Theseus – another great hero – comes to Hercules as a friend and convinces him to not do this tragic act. He persuades Hercules to seek for forgiveness instead, and it is this search for forgiveness that leads Hercules to perform his 12 labors.
So, I ask – are you Hera or are you Theseus? Are you an enemy or an ally? I hope that in your lives you are more often the ally, than you are the enemy in the journeys of other people.
As the hero goes on his adventure, he is going to experience what is called The Road of Trials. At the end of these trials, there is a moment where we think that the hero is not going to make it. The hero is about to die, and then they are saved. Usually this is a person coming in to save our hero. This stage in the journey is called The Rescue from Without. I call this person the Savior. They often risk their own lives to help the hero be successful. As I have studied these stories, I have fallen in love with these rescuers. Even JRR Tolkein considered Sam Wise Gamgee the true hero of the story, rather than Froddo. Without these people, our heroes would definitely fail in their quest.
So, I want to talk for a moment about Neville Longbottom – he is the one who ultimately saves Harry Potter from Voldemort, destroys the last horcrux, and gives Harry the chance to finally defeat Voldemort. But Neville didn’t start out as the leader of the rebellion against Voldemort at Hogwarts in the last book. No, Neville is more like us and that is why I love him. He is the normal man. There is nothing extraordinary about him. In fact, when we first meet Neville he is clumsy, forgetful, awkward, teased mercilessly, and a bit of an outcast. But flash forward 7 years and he is the only one who stands up against Voldemort, when Hogwarts has been destroyed, Harry Potter is thought to be dead, and it seems as though all hope is lost. He embodies all good characteristics – honor, fortitude, humility, self-sacrifice, and courage.
So, my dear graduates, my greatest wish for you in your future lives is that you can be the Neville Longbottom is someone else’s story. That you can stand up for what is right and true. That you can rescue someone else. That you can be the Savior in the life of someone who desperately needs it.
So, maybe I’m not a hero. So, maybe we all live relatively normal and uneventful lives. And that is okay. No, it is more than okay – it is a gift. Whether you have thousands of followers on instagram or none, whether you travel across the world, or spend your entire life right here in the town you grew up in, or whether you make a million dollars, or make just enough to support your family, – you have more influence than you realize.
I hope that in your life you can be allies to those around you, mentors to younger generations, and Saviors to those in need.
I know that you are exceptional people – not because of test scores, championships, or talents. No you are exceptional because in the short two years that I lived here I saw your kindness, your love, and support of each other. My life was blessed by knowing you and I want you to bless the lives of everyone around you.
You are beginning a great journey today. Go forth and conquer.
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