Every human life is, in its own way, a journey… an Iliad and an Odyssey … a going out and a coming home. In search of deeper sense of place, agency and identity in the world and for some, the universe itself, it is a journey of twists, turns and feedback, of continually shaping and at the same time, being shaped by people, animals, places and events. No one comes through it unscarred. Along the way, we all have our souls trodden on somewhere, sometime and often by something or someone we thought we knew or understood. And yet, we all, sometimes without knowing it, tread on the souls and dreams of others. The journey is indeed heroic, and when viewed through a psychological lens, archetypal. We are all, in our own way, born seekers of food, turf, adventure, continuity and meaning in our lives. It is an inner and an outer journey at the same time. It is heroic, however absurd and more … it is deeply poetic. It resonates in the psyche of every human being.
To highlight the historical, universal and individual significance of this journey I will draw on two heroic poems: “Salmon Boy” by David Wagoner and “Ithaca” by Cavafy.
We all have a personal story … a journey to tell, and re-tell. To enhance our performance as professionals, this presentation addresses the various ‘milestones’ – not only the adventures – leaving home, expanding our psychological and philosophical boundaries, finding our strengths and weaknesses, but also, the misadventures – the way we handle the inevitable misfortunes in our lives and in the lives of our patients.
