
“There’s a myth in most cultures about following your dreams. It’s called the ‘hero’s journey.’ I prefer another myth to the side of that, or underneath it maybe. It’s called the ‘misfit’s myth.’ You may not know this yet, but you have the ability to reinvent yourself, endlessly. That’s your beauty.
You can be a drunk. You can be an abuse survivor. You can be an ex-con. You can be a homeless person. “You can lose all your money or your job or your husband or your wife or, the worst thing of all, a child. You can even lose your marbles.”
You can be standing dead center in the middle all of your failure and still I’m only here to tell you: you are so beautiful and your story deserves to be heard. Because you, you rare and phenomenal misfit– you new species — are the only one in the room who can tell the story the way only you would.” – Lidia Yuknavitch
Image: Centered by Giovanni Orlando via Flickr
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Fantastic news! Misfits take heart.
Yes, agree! Hope for all of us.
Oh, yes! I adored this. Can’t wait to watch her Ted talk. It’s not up yet, is it?
Btw, I just finished The Chronology of Water and was blown away.
I checked just a few days ago, Dana, and it wasn’t up – hopefully soon.
I need to read Chronology of Water – thanks for the reminder.
I love this :)
Glad you liked it, Susan. Thanks for letting me know.