The Difference Between Frodo and Me

I don't know how many times I've read "The Lord of the Rings". I always imagined myself as Frodo - the little person who somehow does what the great people can't do and beat the bad guy. I think that's why I like the Harry Potter series, too.

Yesterday evening, after the yard work party, we watched the third Lord of the Rings movie as it was on TV - The Return of the King. Then, I posted on Facebook that I always imagined myself as Frodo and that cancer was "The Ring of Doom". I visualized throwing the damn ring (i.e, cancer) into Mount Doom and melting away.

But in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep (some achey arms - too tight a wrap on the left arm and a tight right shoulder; plus some worry as I thought I found another nodule in my left armpit which I now think might be scar tissue), I got to thinking that there was one important difference between Frodo and me.

At the end of the story, he goes on the ship that takes him to the sea. He finds that he can't enjoy the Shire anymore because of all his hurts and struggles. I thought about the scene where the four hobbits, who fought in the war, were in the pub watching all their fellow hobbits laughing without a care in the world. They exchange knowing glances that these other hobbits are still innocent of the evil that exists in the world.

The big difference is, though, that even though I've gone through a lot, like Frodo, I would have to stay that I've rediscovered the joy of Shire - that innocence and love of life that children have. I used to think, in my 20s and 30s, that I needed to put away childish things, like innocence and be an "adult". But then, traveling around with good friend of mine in New Mexico, P., I'd watch her giggle with delight as Mesa Verde or Acoma Pueblo and I realized that why is it that we need to put away childish things? Why can't I take joy and giggle and see something I've not seen before? Why can't I color mandalas or create mosaics? Play with color and design? It's fun! Why not have fun?

So, that's the big difference. Frodo couldn't enjoy his world, but I think there is much to do, much to enjoy, much to giggle about yet. I'd rather dwell on the sweet smelling roses then about the evil. As I said before, if we all concentrated on what's good, maybe the world would be a better place. Let's all continue being children, okay?

Thank you again to everyone!

The Eagle and Child Pub

I leave Monday at noon to fly to London, then I will take a bus to Oxford, England. I arrive in London at 9am on Tuesday morning. On Tuesday afternoon, I will meet with my colleague Tom - thankfully, we can check into our rooms by 10am, so I hope to get to my room, rest and then shower before meeting Tom.

Then, our host says that he plans to go to the Eagle and Child Pub at 7pm on Tuesday, in case there are others of us who arrive early and want to go to a pre-workshop event. Then, he said "where we can soak up the atmosphere of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis".

Well, that caught my interest - I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I don't know how many times I read the books (and while the films did a fairly good job, I was terribly disappointed in how much the director fudged the story line in terms of the love story between Aragorn and Arwen; there were other inaccuracies of the films which pissed me off, but the scenery and the creation of the characters were spot on).

I also enjoyed the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and read some of the series, but not all.

Apparently, Tolkien and Lewis with some others would go to this pub and hang out. They called themselves "The Inklings" and it was quite a literary place to be.

How cool is that? I got to admit . . . sometimes, I love my job!! (Yes, I do have to do a presentation . . . but I'm not gonna stress about that. It'll get done. But going to the pub where Tolkien went ... very cool.)