Chains of Duty

Typically when I feel warn out or pulled in too many directions I describe the feeling as "like butter spread over too much bread". Several months ago it seemed that everything was of critical importance and there would be no way for me to accomplish what needed to be done. I felt as if I was bound with..."invisible chains of duty".

I am amazed sometimes by how impressionable we are as children. I don't know why I am surprised when upon analyzing a thought or behavior I have that it had it's seeds in some TV show or something I heard as a child. Though it had been decades since I had listened to the record or even thought of that book. I could heard the voice of Skeletor in my mind telling Beastman how he was going to bind He-Man. The book is The Power of Point Dread. As a child I had this book and the accompanying record. My brother and I would listen to it and have fun playing with the speed adjustment of our record player. Laughing at how funny it was to make Skeletor, Beast Man, and He-Man have very high fast voices.

Skeletor as usual is concocting a plan to thwart He-Man and capture Castle Grayskull (spoilers he isn't successful). This time his plan is to tie He-Man up. Beast Man astutely points out that no chain can hold He-Man. In with classic Skeletor fashion he says "Fool, there are other ways to tie up a man. Sometimes feelings are stronger than steel. Like feelings of duty!...It is here in Eternia that I will tie up He-Man with my invisible chains of duty!"

In the book He-Man feels responsible for injuring the king while trying to protect him. Man-At-Arms tries to comfort him and help plan for the future. He-Man will not be consoled or share what he feels are his duties alone saying "it is my burden to bear".

I find that I often bind with chains of duty. Want to be the hero, the shield, protecting everyone whole saving the day and doing it all single-handedly. Not for praise but because I want them to feel safe, protected, and cared for. These chains frequently are not even really anything that others expect from me but things that I expect from myself. Creating artificial restrictions and boundaries that do more harm than help.

Returning to the book; Skeletor continues to execute his plan by creating an army of giant ants to attach Eternia. After the battle He-Man pursues and the retreating ants and is met by Zodac and is told about Point Dread and the Talon Fighter. With these things He-Man will be able to be two places almost simultaneously! He jumps into the Talon Fighter, comments that it appears to be designed to be piloted by two but doesn't have time to find someone else and, in a flash, finds himself at Castle Grayskull just in time to drive Skeletor and Beastman away.

Since this book was the source of the phrase "chains of duty" I was hoping that it would also be the source for the answer freeing myself from these chains. I wasn't hoping for a direct answer but at least some kind of metaphor. But He-Man saved the day by just pushing himself harder and gaining a tool that enabled him to move from one duty to another more quickly. So all I need is to push myself harder and...find a magic air plane? Could that really be the moral of this story? That would explain why I try to be everything to everyone. Why I often repeat to myself "miles to go before I sleep".

I couldn't accept this. There must be some greater truth to glean some buried meaning to help me with my situation. After going over the events in the story more times that I care to admit (after all it is just a children's book). I found a greater truth. He-Man didn't defeat the ants alone. He wasn't even the one who first discovered the ants. He had the help of Man-At-Arms and the entire Eterian gaurd. He also finally shared some of what he preserved as his sole responsibility in asking Man-At-Arms to guard Eternia while he followed the fleeing ants.

(Side note: He-Man is the defender of Eternia and Castle Grayskull. The protection of Eternia is not his alone though. Man-At-Arms, as captain of the guard, also has a duty to protect the kingdom.)

He also trusts and acknowledges Zodac's experience when he follows him and accepts his help.

In the end He-Man is able to be victorious, not because he relied on his own strength and abilities, but because his shared the duties he could, allowed others to act on their own individual responsibilities, and accepted help when it was needed.

"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains And we never even know we have the key."

-Eagles, Already Gone