The Human Story In Your Flat-Tire Event

Welcome back!

The most powerful metaphorical “flat-tire event” connects you with the essence of the human story.

Human stories evoke universal experiences that transcend any limitations of race, sex, age, geography, social status, and everything else that causes human beings to see themselves as somehow different and separate and better than other people.

Human stories force us to dig beneath what separates us into tribes, families, castes, sects, and nations to experience what binds us all into one common humanity.

Human stories plunge us into universal human emotions such as love and hate, trust and fear, joy and sorrow, generosity and greed.

At the same time, any human story that begins with a flat-tire event is unique, particular, and immersed in its own time and place and culture.

The Hero’s Journey Archetype

When your flat-tire event does this, it becomes an archetypal story. The word “archetype” means “original pattern,” derived from the Greek archon (first) and typos (pattern).

The person who did the most to connect the idea of archetypes and stories was Karl Jung, particularly with his seminal work on the particular archetypal story he called “the hero’s journey.”

The hero’s journey is central to the Story Transformation Process, with its dual emphasis on what it means to be a hero and why heroic stories are journey stories. 

The Wallet By The Side Of The Road

Before we get to the hero’s journey, let’s go back to the wallet you found by the side of the road (Would You Keep The Money?). 

Finding a wallet with $3 and your best friend’s ID is not very likely to precipitate a life changing journey because it probably won’t stir up many conflicting emotions, such as greed and desire in conflict with your responsibility to your friend.

However, finding a wallet with $3000 and the ID of someone who is totally “other” is rife with potential to change your life forever because it brings to the surface universal human emotions.

Unless you are wealthy enough that $3000 is chump change, this is enough cash to stir up all kinds of emotions about money, ranging from greed and envy to a desire to do the right thing, even if you are broke and desperately need money.

And if conflicting emotions about money aren’t enough for you, you also know that the money belongs to someone who is totally “other” than you.

When you add strong emotions of distrust, hate, prejudice, and xenophobia to your emotional stew about money, the combination is enough to create ethical, emotional, and spiritual conflict in just about all of us.

And so you stand by the side of the road, holding the wallet with $3000 and the ID of the “other” in your hand, knowing that no one except you knows you have it. What do you do? Whatever you decide, the decision will change you one way or another. 

To be continued… 

For Your Success,

Kalinda

Dr. Kalinda Rose Stevenson

The Story Transformer 

Creator of “The Story Transformation Process”

This is the fourth post in a 5-Part series.

How Your Flat-Tire Stories Change Your Life

Is Your Flat-Tire A Life Changing Story Event Or Just An Occurrence?

Would You Keep The Money?: Flat-Tire Events Force To You To Make Life Changing Ethical Decisions

The Human Story In Your Flat-Tire Event

Ready Or Not, It’s Time To Change Your Life