Читать книгу Hard Cuddles - James Harding - Страница 4

Foreword

The famous philosopher Joseph Campbell discovered that in every great story there is a hidden ‘hero’s journey’. It can be found in The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars and The Matrix, just to name a few. It goes like this: the hero starts out in a normal situation and gets shunted out into a world of uncertainty and turmoil. They find a teacher or make friends who point them in the right direction. Ultimately, they slay the proverbial dragon, only to discover that the dragon was inside of them all along. After the victory and the self-realisation, the journey ends with the hero’s triumphant return home to tell the story.

James ‘The Hammer’ Harding has lived a full life. There is scarcely a stone he hasn’t turned over, scarcely a fear that he hasn’t tackled. He has lived a life full of both dreams and nightmares that we would probably have trouble distinguishing if we were in his shoes. With rules being broken at every turn, this story seems unreal to us readers. Though it may seem like a villain’s journey, you will find a hero in these pages, in this man.

He has slayed the dragon but only after staring it in the eyes and taming it.

I have had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with James, initially while he was still driving the sword into the heart of the beast. When we met he had already decided to tame it and stopped believing its ruse, but he was still wrestling with how to finish the job. I am honoured to be his friend, to know his story and, most importantly, to have connected to the man that was born out of it.

While it may be hard at times to see it through the excesses that are outlined, this is truly a story about all of us but experienced in a way that only this man and few others could survive. If, on your life’s journey, you haven’t broken the rules that the Hammer has broken, here is your chance to live in his world for a few moments and dare to think whether you would’ve dealt with it in the same way—enjoy.

Equal parts naughty, bodacious and irrepressible, this full circle life story is about one of our true Wizards of Aus. With the balls that ‘The Hammer’ showed in his life it might have taken even more to tell this story.

Nice work mate! Proud of you and glad to call you my friend.

Trevor Hendy AM