Kyle Edwards - 10/22/16

Myths are seen as the universal binding contract between our place in the world as human beings and our own habitat involving the planet as a whole. We as a species have always tried to use creation myths to explain our very presence, and whether our purpose has any tangible meaning. When I was creating my own myth, about the rise of Jack-O-Lanterns and why we carve them, I felt like it enhanced the study of myth by narrowing in my focus. I had to zone in on just a few details that I wanted to flesh out, and leaving a bit of mystery and ambiguity to the reader to figure out on their own just like many creation myths. It became a worthy challenge to pick and choose what to omit and what needed to be mentioned. Overall, I had a lot of fun creating my myth, and I think that even today we create myths all the time without even knowing (like the White Girl Starbucks example).

For future teaching, I would argue that creating a myth allows the class to expand their knowledge base and truly explore the world we live in, and the customary practices we all partake in doing. From why we wear baggy shorts when playing basketball instead of tight short-shorts, to why we feel the need to place candles on celebratory cakes, there is endless opportunity to allow students to explore critically the idea of a myth. Then at the end of class, tie it all together by explaining the bigger picture; that if we can use myths for fun, imagine the power of myths all throughout time in explaining the unexplainable.