The Hero’s Journey?

Here is an excerpt from a rather unfavorable response to a simple inquiry letter I sent to a columnist at Psychology Today requesting a review of my memoir, “The Great Unlearning.”

She said, “Believing that your own story actually contains enough to provide healing for everyone else is, in my opinion, short-sighted and even a bit narcissistic. The idea that you actually believe you have taken the hero’s journey (which I assume you take from Campbell) is startling. Not even Pinkola Estes said that. Forgive my bluntness but if this is how you are going to introduce yourself to strangers, you should be aware.”

Ouch.

Is the concept of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey only reserved for an elite group of bold and courageous adventurers out to save the world? Or can an ordinary person like me, who has overcome great adversity, inspire a healing path for others by demonstrating courage and bravery through art and the writing of my traumatic experiences? Would you call that hope unfair or narcissistic?