Finding hope in despair

There is a scene in the movie/story "The Neverending Story," where our hero and his horse fall into an endless swamp. The horse is claimed by sadness and sinks beneath the murk, hopeless and lost. But, our hero forces himself to continue his quest--even though it's a nearly impossible task of finding a cure for the ailing Empress. We feel the hopelessness, the despair, the desire to give up. It's one of the best written examples of despair, Of course, the hero manages and everything turns out great.

So, what changed for our hero? Where did the hope come from? Well, like so many occasions, the hope came from outside of the hero. First, an ancient turtle gives him a new idea, then a series of new challenges try our hero's determination, and finally the story's pinnacle where a new hero takes over. It's a welcome relief, a changing of the guard, and makes the audience lean in as we want to know more.

Why is hope so difficult? I'm not sure it is, but sometimes it's tough to accept. It takes a measure of humility to accept hope, especially if we're normally dependent only on our own ability. The funny thing in stories is that I find myself yelling at the page, "don't give up!" As if I really could change the outcome, but wouldn't it be fun if we could? That's the premise of "The Neverending Story," and it's a wild ride. Check it out!

- M