"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas

Yesterday felt like the longest day of my life. I'm pretty sure it was measurable - relativity was not on my side. Ten minutes seemed to last an hour and by the end of the day, I'm certain I aged at least eight months. Which is weird, because thinking back now, the last year seems like it moved with lightening speed. Can I hit rewind, please? Nope, can't, gotta keep moving forward, even if I feel a little lost. Honestly, I haven't felt this crazy since I was 19-years-old and - boy! - those were some crazy years. Fun years, true, but extremely turbulent. I don't have the luxury of going down that rabbit hole this time. I have people who are actually counting on me now.

Anyway, yesterday morning started off with "Carry On Wayward Son," which felt....appropriate. Because it is about moving forward, even as chaos closes in. For those who aren't familiar, "Wayward Son" is the theme for "Supernatural." They always play it during the season finale episode during a montage of all the madness the Winchester brothers encountered that season. I watched up to season 5, which is where the story arc the original writers imagined ended. After that, it seemed like the plot fell apart and they kept making episodes because it was successful, which is what most shows do. TV executives don't care that all stories need to end sometime, they just want to milk them as long as they can keep making money. I think "Supernatural" is still on TV, too. From my understanding, most of the people still watching it are doing so because the Winchester boys are hot. It's true. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki might possibly be the two most handsome men on TV right now. In fact, I'm almost certain they are, because I have high standards. And, from what I've heard, they're also super nice - I have a friend who regularly goes to "Supernatural" fan conventions and has met the cast several times.

Once I rose above the noise and confusion

Just to get a glimpse beyond the illusion

I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high

Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man

Though my mind could think I still was a mad man

I hear the voices when I'm dreamin', I can hear them say

Let's delve into these lyrics, shall we? Now, all progressive rock song lyrics are a little out there. It was released in 1976 - I expect nothing less than trippy weirdness. But, rough allusions to Greek mythology and too long guitar breaks aside, the message is poignant. I was talking to my friend/coworker about The Hero's Journey, which is simultaneously a master plot archetype and the name of a book on said plot archetype. It begins with the hero being presented with a quest - a quest the hero initially rejects, because they're comfortable where they are in life. Still, they are curious. Then, something happens which makes setting off on the quest unavoidable for our hero. On the journey, the hero encounters conflict after conflict, experiences the full breadth of life they were missing - happiness, sadness, betrayal, victory, etc. - and, all the while, they are growing. By they end, they aren't the same character.  They realize that, though they have learned much, they know nothing ("You know nothing, Jon Snow." One of my favorite catch phrases in GoT). They have grown to love people they wouldn't have thought they would ever meet. They've developed their intuition, gained trust and confidence in their own abilities, in their own strength. They have gone from protagonist to fully-developed hero. And their reward is the resolution at the end - the turmoil dissolves into inner peace, they feel fulfilled, and they can finally rest. If you're looking for it, most great stories follow the Hero's Journey. Harry Potter. The Lord of the Rings. Jesus. "Supernatural" is no exception.

The Infamous Winchester Smolder

Sam Winchester was just like you or me at the beginning of the series. Sure, his childhood was weird and dysfunctional but he was trying to be normal. And then his god damned brother, Dean, shows up, claiming his father was kidnapped and demons/supernatural beings are real. Sam tells him to basically GTFO. Then, his girlfriend - the girl he was going to marry - is murdered by a demon right in front of him. It would've been pretty traumatic, now that I think of it. Anyway, he has to go with his brother and confront everything he's been afraid of - the mistakes he's made, his fucked up childhood, and his inner demon (literally). He also has to face the fact that maybe he doesn't know what Reality and Truth are because every day, a new monster pops up. Every day, he has to believe in something he didn't believe in before. Holy shit! That's terrifying! And exhausting! It's understandable why some people would not want to do that. But, they should take comfort that there is peace at the end - assuming you're not on a highly profitable TV show. Poor Sam Winchester - that kid ain't ever gonna get a break.

"Carry On Wayward Son" Audio