Day in the Life of a Ringer

"There may come a day
when we're too tired to climb the hill,
when icicles hang from our noses,
when our hands are frozen solid
(and we should probably be studying),
but it is not this day
THIS DAY WE SLED!"

This was how my afternoon went, down here in winter-bound Steubenville on a snow-covered hill behind a dorm on campus. Three sleds, a few laughs and an iPhone camera later, this LOTR parody was born. (Video to follow later!)

Believe it or not, I have encountered a handful of people over the years who, dare I say this, that DON'T like LOTR. You can imagine my complete shock and surprise. Off the top of my head, I can only think of four people in my 12 years of fandom that have ever said this. Two of the four people had stopped at the Fellowship of the Ring (I don't know how this is even POSSIBLE), one of them was a nun who said she didn't like how much the movies left out a lot of Catholic themes found in the books (I disagree with this, but anyway), and the final person (this one is I absolutely cannot believe) had NEVER SEEN THEM.

The rarity of such findings as these about LOTR leads me to my main point for the day: the majority of people, whether here or across the world, love LOTR. Whether it is a passionate devotion or a casual affinity, there is a common tie in LOTR that ties and connects all of its fans.

What is it about LOTR that draws people to it, or makes them love it? What makes LOTR such a great triumph of human cinematic achievement? What makes the story, the characters, the depth to emotion so inspiring?

PART I: The Story
So, what is the story? Let's take a step back and look at it from an outside perspective. There is a character, voluntarily stepping forward and under no obligation taking upon him the duty of carrying, and destroying, the darkest and greatest manifestation of evil in the whole of the world. Then, also voluntarily, men of every race step forward and offer themselves as companions, to the death, on this perilous journey. This act alone, of a voluntary sacrifice of livelihood, happiness, and for some, life itself, is the demonstration of true honor, love, and fidelity.

What guy doesn't want to be know as being like Aragorn, strong, kinglike, hardy, compassionate, all while wielding the sword that was the downfall of the greatest current enemy of the world in ancient history?

What woman doesn't want to be as faithful, as true, as beautiful (inside and out) and as loving as Arwen? Or as strong-willed, courageous and downright boss as Eowyn?

These are all questions ultimately leading to the ultimate conclusion that can be made from LOTR (a summary of a quote I read once): it shows us how the world should be, an idea I completely agree with. We find in our hearts a great consolation at rejoining in the world of Middle Earth.

Over the next few weeks, I want to continue to explore this more. Let this whet your appetite for more. More later!
                    Namaste!
                            Jenn