A Myth That I Remember From My Childhood
We are all told stories as children that sometimes impact how we see the world as we grow up and become more mature. Our thoughts on the morals or lessons taught in the stories may change over time, some of them sticking with us, and others being thrown away to make room for ideas that make more sense to us. We call many of these stories myths, because though people often try to pass them off as it they are true, most of the time, their accuracy is debatable. It is up to if they believe In the tale. One myth I remember from my childhood is the legend of Johnny Appleseed. This story tells of a man who travels the country planting apple seeds wherever he goes. That legend taught me to be generous, and provide for future generations, even if I won’t be around to see the fruits of my labor.
Many of the trees that Johnny planted were likely only going to be able to produce apples and provide shade long after Johnny had moved on. A Greek proverb I heard once fits this very well. “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” I still hold that lesson dear to my heart. Another group of stories that we are all taught about as children is the stories of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fain. These tales have evolved greatly over time, and though virtually all adults know that they are clearly fiction, children often don’t know any better until they get a little older. Often these myths reward children’s good behavior, particularly Santa Claus, and encourage them to be the best they can be.
Although teens and adults surely know that they are made-up characters. I believe that the Idea of being a good person can influence us as we move out of childhood, and into the transition to adulthood. Finally, one more group of stories that l was told about as a child was events explained in the Holy Bible. A few good examples are the stories of Noah’s Ark. Jacob’s Ladder and Adam and Eve. Many of these stories are meant to teach a lesson, such as compassion, and honesty, or humility. Although, after some critical thought and introspection. I no longer look at the Bible literally, and no longer believe it is true, I can still see the value in the morals upheld in it, and can apply them to my life regardless of whether or not I believe. Many still look at it in a literal sense. and whatever choice one makes on the subject should be theirs alone to make.
Without judgment from others, as one’s religious beliefs should be treated with courtesy. I still respect the Bible to this day for being one of my first sources of moral wisdom. In conclusion, many myths have influenced my current view on the world. I believe this holds true for most people. With all the stories we are told as children, it is likely difficult to get by without them impacting you in some way. As long as we continue to teach positive morals with these stories, I reason that that it is a beneficial tradition indeed to continue passing stories down to younger generations.
