On January 3, J.R.R. Tolkien turned 124 years old. For rather obvious reasons, Tolkien was not around to raise a glass in his own honor. I, however, was around to celebrate my favorite author’s birthday. I was originally going to reread the collective works of Tolkien, but decided that I could kill more brain cells and save more time by watching the film versions of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."
Sadly, not enough brain cells were killed in the process, as I began to really think about the life lessons that Tolkien imbued into his own works. I have read the books and watched the movies countless times, yet I always find something new in Tolkien’s bottomless well of literature.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” This particular quote seemed rather fitting, given it was Tolkien’s birthday. The man was a respected literary professor and linguist, yet he did not begin writing much fiction until his 45th birthday.
As a recent college graduate and first-time graduate student, I often wonder what I will be able to do with my own time. I have always wanted to write a book, and I suspect that will eventually happen.
Following Tolkien’s example, one could surmise that there is plenty of time. It is simply a matter of deciding to do anything, rather than nothing at all.
“It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no telling where you might be swept off to.” This is, perhaps, my favorite gem of truth from Tolkien. It is one of those little blurbs that rattles around one’s head for days at a time. At first, it sounds somewhat daunting, even “dangerous.”
Yet, it is not meant to be. At its heart, it is meant to be inspiring; to instill a sense of adventure that one might not have had before. In fact, the same could be said for the entirety of Tolkien’s work. All of his books and poetry look to the wide world as something to be explored and traversed, not looked at from afar or from the comfort of one’s own home.
There is a reason that I hold the author in such high regard. Partly, I enjoy his ability to bend language and create new ones. Additionally, I enjoy the wonderful films that were born from Tolkien’s world. Yet, the thing that keeps me coming back is not the style or cinematic creation. I return to Tolkien because he has inspired me since I was a child.
His stories have enthralled me and pushed me toward becoming a writer. They instill a sense of wonder and urge one to explore the world beyond one’s own front door.
