EPISODE 0: The Call to Quest - American Democracy

In these troubling times, the rule of the people requires our participation lest democracy slip from our fingers altogether.  American Musecast invites listeners to a journey through civics, current events, and the charms and challenges of our socio-political institutions. Using elements of positive psychology and drawing from the archetypes of the hero’s journey found in narratives of myth, religion, culture, and politics, Susan Travis presents American democracy and its citizens as flawed heroes on an aspirational expedition of hope and determination. 

Topics discussed in this episode:  

• [3:12] The need for informed citizenry
• [6:41] Archetypes and the hero’s journey
• [7:40] The promise of American Musecast
• [8:12] American Musecast schedule

Episode Music:   

An Epic Story by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/
 Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Transcript

Welcome to American Musecast, and thanks so much for listening!  I’m your host, Susan Travis, inviting you to join in exploring American politics from the perspective of a hero’s journey.  Now, you may not know this, but as citizens, it is OUR responsibility to steward democracy! That’s right, we’re supposed to be helping take care of this thing, America, that is . . . so . . . how’re we doing, folks? Mmm?  Yeah!  Moth-eaten laws that don’t match policy . . . people without services, rampant disrespect, people with lots of un-earned power, politicians, acting like silly schoolyard bullies! It’s the kids running amok without supervision.  It’s a case of “I thought YOU were watching them!”  That’s the state of our union.

If this were a Star Wars movie, or a video game, this is that moment when we’re called to gird our loins and embark on a mission fraught with perils and misadventures, a quest that will test the very tension of the arc of justice!  Yeah, well - I can hear you out there, going, “Wait - Holy cow? We have to WHAT?”  A few of you don’t want to let on, I know, but you have questions rattling your brain like a squeaky jalopy.  I know you do.  Questions like. . . How do you steward something, and I know I’m supposed to know already, but exactly what is democracy again?”

Well. . .that’s the problem.  To think of the government is to feel confused, overwhelmed, and unsettled. Even if we don’t know what stewarding democracy means, even if we don’t watch the news, we feel in the breeze on our very skin that these are politically hazardous times.  Wars we don’t understand.  Distrust of our neighbors.  Leaders celebrating disrespect and advocating cruelty for those with whom they disagree.  Now.  If you wonder what you’d have done during the ugliest times in history, as institutions were attacked, as truth was twisted into lies, and as leaders justified hate.... if you ever wonder what you’d have done . . . it's what you're doing right now.  And, when I ponder this concept, I know it applies to me. 

Because I’m frustrated with a need to do more, I decided to produce this podcast using my talents for teaching and writing, my education in politics, mythology and psychology, my gift for optimism, and my brand new little sound studio here in the mountains of New Mexico, where I’m still learning how to record.  I decided to reach millions of listeners with my pearls of wisdom!

Well, anyway, subscribe and share, and we’ll see how that goes . . . 

But the thing is, many of us have all but forgotten the nitty gritty of any civics class that we might have had in school, if we ever had any at all.  Millions of Americans haven’t, and when I say, “civics,” many aren’t sure what that even means.  America’s peculiar that way . . . form a system of government and an economy, the very health of which requires the knowledgeable participation of its citizens . . . and then foster an educational wasteland of those very matters.  Neglect to teach the fundamental responsibilities of stewarding democracy, or even what the words mean. Kind of a funny way to run a country, if you ask me. . . yeeeeaaaah . . . what gives?  

These days, we’re mentally buffeted by conflicting information, snarky discourse, and a firehose of political chaos. Presidents, politicians, pundits, press, and we (all the people,) are PERPLEXED as to what to do and what will become of us.  We’re pounded with terms we can’t define if asked. We’re America in Wonderland, surrounded by Mad Hatters at the bottom of a rabbit hole. We’re living in the Matrix, and we don’t even know what a matrix is!  We’re in the midst of a worrisome voyage, not sure of how we can right the ship. Are we rearranging the proverbial deck chairs on the Titanic?  Should we stay out of the way, cowering with the cargo, or go up top, try to find starboard, and pull on a rope? I mean, really!  What gives?

Some are stressed. Some depressed. I know one woman who just stands clutching a bottle of wine and screams profanity at the television, every night. Bizarrely, others are bored by the whole mess and couldn’t care less.  “It won’t do any good.  It’s not what I want to do with my time.” Some muse we just need to be positive and manifest blue skies. (How’s that going?)  And we all know those who’ve surrendered to cynicism, themselves becoming the very threat they most fear.  

None of this is surprising, but each of these choices turn a blind eye, and OPT OUT of the stewardship of democracy, and it doesn’t have to be this way!  Whatever your reason for thinking you’ll just sit this one out, that just won’t do.  IT WILL. NOT. DO.  If any of my words happen to describe YOU, even for a moment, then you’re the very reason I’m doing this, because way too often, they describe me as well.  

Anyway, now that you’re wide-eyed and quivering with alarm, let’s take some deep breaths, gather our wits, muster some grit, and let’s tackle this democratic fixer-upper called America!  First, it’s important that we find a way to speak confidently, correctly, and honestly about the issues of the day. Secondly, to do that, we need reliable context.  Third, fourth, and fifth, we need to think through our options on what to do, how to do it, and why, and above all, we must stay hopeful and engaged.  That, my dear listeners, is how we begin to steward democracy into a healthy, prosperous, and gracious nation, for all of us.

So, how will this podcast help?  What’s secret sauce with this one?  As many of you know, our history, our current challenges, and our future carry what are called “archetypes” – that is, the characters and forces underlying the great epic tales.  By that, I mean, that like individuals, America is both the hero and the villain of its own story.  America’s story of joys and shadowy challenges, of complex characters, energizing dynamics, dastardly deeds, and psychological motivations touches us, because we can all relate by virtue of our common humanity.  

Now, archetypes are the patterns that form the story of my life, and of your life, and of the story of America, and understanding those patterns unlocks an awful lot of clarity to some very grave issues.

My guarantee is that by following American Musecast, you’ll find civics to be engaging and easy to remember. We’ll pack some fresh, clear understanding into our duffels, gather some citizen confidence, and move to speaking robustly with more informed clarity than that tired playlist of sound bites we lug around like flash cards to show we know the party line.  I’m telling you, we’re gonna be smarter than that, and we’re gonna outwit the status quo while we’re at it.

Here's what you can expect from my side of the headset.  Each episode will be approximately 30 minutes long, I’ll drop ‘em on Wednesday mornings, and each will explore basic principles of democracy when applied to issues and strategies faced by Americans.  Now, it may seem overwhelming, but we’ll smooth out and have an interesting time as well.  We have the writings of some powerful thinkers to serve as guides, along with the archetypal lens of myth and psychology.  

We call this moment, this episode, the “call to quest.”  We’re on a pilgrimage of questions, if you will . . . a little road trip through the psyche of America.  Some of you will refuse the call, go back to binging reruns of CSI and not-really reality tv, and that’s okay, we’ll soldier on without you if you’re not ready.  Maybe later. 

But for those dear listeners with a fire in the belly, here’s what I ask of you!   I invite you to follow this weekly podcast and to share it with others.  Please, offer suggestions or observations in the comments section.  Often, your comment sets off a sparkle of ideas for a whole new episode!  Just use your manners.  Remember, I’m a real person.   

Now, buckle up, Buttercup!  Let’s get out there, and steward democracy!     (10 min)