Nice essay, and I like the reference to The Hero's Journey. I also love what you’re calling for: a larger, inspiring story that connects a nation’s history to its future. One small thought for you. Maybe it's just me, but the word "myth" sometimes carries a connotation of "falsehood" or "manipulation." If you want to avoid that (and again, maybe it's just me) you might consider a descriptive phrase like "national narrative," or "shared story," or even "mythos," which all carry the meaning you’re after without the unintended baggage. Otherwise, I love your bold vision, and I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
Thanks for your feedback, Tom. And you make an outstanding point about the use of the word myth. You're right, the connotation and at least one denotation is that myths are false.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I also hope you and your family had an awesome Thanksgiving!
Nice essay, and I like the reference to The Hero's Journey. I also love what you’re calling for: a larger, inspiring story that connects a nation’s history to its future. One small thought for you. Maybe it's just me, but the word "myth" sometimes carries a connotation of "falsehood" or "manipulation." If you want to avoid that (and again, maybe it's just me) you might consider a descriptive phrase like "national narrative," or "shared story," or even "mythos," which all carry the meaning you’re after without the unintended baggage. Otherwise, I love your bold vision, and I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
Thanks for your feedback, Tom. And you make an outstanding point about the use of the word myth. You're right, the connotation and at least one denotation is that myths are false.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I also hope you and your family had an awesome Thanksgiving!