Michael Hankins lived in an ordinary town, worked an ordinary job, live in an ordinary house, had an ordin-

“Dude why are you talking so loud, it’s seven in the morning.”

Wait, you’re able to hear what I’m saying?

“Yes, and its waking the kids up. Also, why are you shitting on me for no reason?”

Well every good story starts with the character’s humble beginnings so we can see your transformation into a hero at the end

“Who’s we? Wait, why am I even talking to a voice that’s in my head?!”

Not to worry my friend, I am merely the narrator for this story, here to help the reader visualize what is happening and add drama to the scene

“Well if you wanna add drama to the story, you can tell the reader I’m still in my underpants and I’m about to pull the blankets off.” Michael said with a perturbed look on his face.

“Again, it’s just us talking two each other, you don’t need to explain how I’m feeling.”

But if I don’t, then how will the reader understand what you are feeling?

“Show don’t tell, I don’t know man, also if there are people reading this interaction, don’t I need to consent before you show this to the world?”

We’ll worry about that later, for now let’s worry about getting this journey started

“If you’re looking for a journey, I’m headed to the bathroom to drop off some Tai food.”

And so our hero dresses up for the day, wearing a simple blue button-down, khakis, and penny loafers, what is he up to? Going to seek advise from a village elder? Pick up his weapon from the blacksmith? Or perhaps a wizard has offered him a place on his party to find lost gold

“If you think this is some type of lord of the rings thingy, you’re going to be disappointed.”

Well then why don’t you just shit on all my exposition and tell the reader what’s going to happen

“I’m going to talk with my bank about adding more money into my Roth IRA and then I have to catch up on quarter 3 reports for the law firm I work at, if you stick around until then, I’ll be playing Mario Kart with my friends.”

Wait so there are no beasts to fight, kings to kill, battles to be won?

“Well I am down 20 bucks to Dave so I will make a valiant effort tonight to kick his ass on rainbow road?”

Rainbow road?

“Not important, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to merge and need full concentration.”

Oh curse the Gods! I remember during King William’s time when everyone wanted a hero’s journey to seek glory and claim their rightful place in history, where did it all go wrong?

“Probably when people realized that dying at age 25 for some abstract goal of “glory” is a terrible idea.”

Are you saying people don’t enjoy the stories of King Arthur or Frodo or even Gilgamesh?

“Of course not, every little kid pretends to be knights fighting evil dragons in dungeons, but in today’s world that’s not how it works. Knights can’t fight global climate change or solve wealth inequality, that’s where the true heroes come in.”

So, you’re saying I’ve been caught up trying to tell a story of epic adventure that I’m missing the true meaning of what it means to be a hero?

“Heroes of today help the most vulnerable in our society, and often do it with little recognition, kind of like Sam, had to carry Frodo’s bitch ass up that mountain and somehow Frodo is the one who saved middle earth.”

Michael, you are a true hero for showing me what to really focus in this time of history.

“I’ll send you an invoice for it, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to give some very detailed bank statements and don’t need it to be shared here.”

And so we leave this tale understanding that not all journeys are for glory, gold or god. And that not all great adventurers wear amour for carry the sharpest weapons, but that true heroes are the ones that mold and shape our life for the better, now If you’ll excuse me I have to use the bathroom, too much Tai food last night