I found it interesting in class on Tuesday how Dr. Sexson spoke about the link between literature and romance. Now the average connotation of romance, as he mentioned in class, pertains to movies, romantic novels, or the daily interactions between couples. I think there is some deeper meaning when it comes to the connection between literature and romance.
Reading is more than the act of comprehending words on a page and acquiring knowledge. There is a certain attraction the reader develops for a piece of work, an emotional attachment. This romance is ever present in literature, mythology, and especially fairy tales.
I believe this romance actually stems from fairy tales. Some of our fondest memories as a youth are when our parents would read us bedtime stories. As children this is one of the moments when our Attention Deficit Disorder ceases, and we attain that true focus that everyone seeks. For a short time, our imaginations can roam free in this mystical world. They read to us about castles, dragons, pirates, and even things we could have never imagined. A child's imagination is one of the most fascinating things that I have found. We originally develop love for our parents and family, then we develop loves for the things they do and share with us. Hence, this love expands to fairy tales. Then it expands to longer stories. The love grows towards novels. And the love continues to grow to every piece of writing we read. We are trained to love literature because we inherently love our parents.
Mythology contains a vast amount of romance and we as readers cannot help but fall in love with the stories, their backgrounds, and the characters. These stories are then expressed through us. I believe these stories are rooted in us without our conscious being ever being aware, and Dr. Sexson even said it makes up our nervous system and biological makeup. We are living these mythological stories throughout our daily life, and I haven't even been aware of it throughout my life!
It doesn't matter what book, novel, or fairy tale you read, you really cannot help but develop this emotional connection to it. Quite frankly, without this emotional tie to reading I don't think anyone would enjoy reading. Yan Martel spoke about not being faithless and always be sure that you believe in something. I firmly believe that this is how everyone needs to live their life. The ability to connect with anything spiritually and emotionally is what makes up our true character. An individual cannot help but instinctually follow their heart. If we don't have anything to believe in, then what is the point? Why are we here?
One of my friend's grandfathers left behind this wonderful saying that I live my life by,
'Follow your heart,
Let it soar,
Don't hold back,
Just do it.'
-Angus Roderick McFarland Spencer
It is such a simple phrase, but yet so elegant and full of emotion at the same time. The act of following your heart is so simple as well, and it is almost impossible to thwart any mission it has set out to accomplish. The feeling of surrendering to your own heart and letting it lead you on your life journey is the purest form of ecstasy. This is how mythology lives within us, by following our heart, and letting what fills our bodies take us on our journey through life.
Follow your heart...Just do it.
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