You may have noticed by now that I have a slight (slight?) obsession with JRR Tolkien. Why? Well, I blame it on a little thing called THE HOBBIT. The tale of a short, mild-mannered homebody who has crazy adventures and haves the day is not only the first book (with chapters) that I remember rereading, but one of the first things that I remember reading.
In between my dad reading me Walter Farley's Black Stallion books, I remember my mom reading me THE HOBBIT. And there, amid dreams of being a jockey, I dreamed of adventure and wondered where in the world Gollum got that ring and what the story of the ring was.
Now, in my house growing up there where two books that we had multiple copies of. The Bible, and the complete Tolkien (Hobbit and LOTR). We had at least three sets (then I got one, then the pages started to fall out so I had to replace it...) but I remember seeing those huge paperback volumes around quite a bit. I remember, before I was old enough to read LOTR, my mom telling me where the ring came from and about the other rings.
At any rate. Bilbo was always a character I related too. Especially now. He just keeps ending up in places he never dreamed he'd go too, seeing things he'd never imagined, doing what he thought was impossible and proving to himself and everyone that he could do. Bilbo, unlike Frodo, has a quest that he doesn't realize will decide the fate of his world. Frodo knows that his quest is critical and yet goes anyway. Which is an entirely different discussion.
But Bilbo, I think, is Tolkien's way of reminding us that no matter how insignificant we feel, we're not. Rereading, HOBBIT (again), I have to laugh when Bilbo makes comments or asides to himself, because they are all things that I can hear myself saying in the same situations.
And Bilbo is always wondering what he's gotten himself into but rising to the challenge. I think that's a thing we're supposed to see here. Hobbits are tough. Sure, they're short and not much for traveling too far, but when push comes to shove, they go. And they've got your back.
Tolkien probably liked the elves best (no, I take that back. They were totally his favorites) but I think he held a special place in his heart for the hobbits. Happy-go-lucky innocents who can still surprise you with their wits, resourcefullness and willingness to go do.
Bilbo always makes it to where he's going. He always manages to figure it out. And even when he's terrified, he still goes. There's a lot to be said for what he later tells Frodo, "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. If you don't keep your feet, who knows where you'll end up." True that Tolkien, true that.
This is something that I see in my life. I can identify with the homebody who is afraid of a lot, but somehow ends up in the strangest places. I'm writing this while sailing on a tall ship in southern California, for Pete's sake. So when I look at Bilbo, fighting spiders, slaying dragons, cursing his "Took side" for getting him into all these situations, I can relate. I see myself climbing the rigging, moving to South Dakota, and wondering at times what in the world I'm doing by being where I am. But man, my life is awesome. Thank you Lord!
God keeps sending me to strange places and I go. I learn and grow, and then head back to my little Hobbit Hole of North Idaho a changed and still growing woman. And that is the reason that I love Bilbo Baggins and THE HOBBIT.
"Home is behind, the world ahead. And there are many paths to tread. Through shadows, to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight...and then we'll all be home again"
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