I Might Be a Hobbit

The books “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien are stories about epic journeys, and they rank among my very favorite books of all time. Lately, they remind me of what I’ve been missing during this ever-worsening pandemic; travel and adventure.

I might be a Baggins. Like most Hobbits, I am usually quite content to spend days on end in the comfort of my own home, yet I do occasionally get a powerful urge—like Bilbo Baggins did as his 111th birthday drew near—to hit the road in search of adventure. Years earlier, Bilbo was a reluctant adventurer when Gandalf and the Dwarves recruited him to join their quest to take back the Lonely Mountain from the vile dragon Smaug. But after his journey there and back again, he was a changed Hobbit. For the rest of his days, Bilbo felt drawn to the world beyond the borders of his home in the Shire.

 

I, too, feel that pull. 

Aside from a few socially-distanced camping trips last summer, our family has not strayed far from our mid-Missouri home since the coronavirus changed everything last March. My one and only New Year’s resolution for 2020 was to attend more live concerts, yet I managed to go to only one show in February before the rest were all cancelled. And although I have found countless classic cars for sale online, located from coast to coast, I have not gone to inspect a single one in person for fear of inadvertently bringing the virus home to my family.

The Hobbit in me is coping the only way Hobbits know how: by staying in my burrow and eating way too much. Despite reducing our Thanksgiving guest list by two-thirds, we still managed to make the same amount of food—most of which I seem to have eaten myself.

 

There is one other thing (besides my height) that I have in common with the Bagginses from Bag-End. Bilbo shared a birthday, September 22, with his favorite young person, his nephew Frodo. My birthday is close, September 25, and I will celebrate it with my favorite young person, my granddaughter Freya, who was born on—you guessed it—September 22. A party for Pop and Freya Baggins…I do like the sound of that!

Frodo set out on his own adventure on his 50th birthday, when Gandalf convinced him to return the One Ring to the fires of Mordor from whence it came. My 50th birthday will come next September. I hope to go on a few adventures before then, but you can bet I’ll have something special planned for that particular occasion. 

In the meantime, I need to get out of this house. The Winter Doldrums will settle upon me soon, as they always do, and without the prospect of a road trip or some kind of adventure to look forward to, I fear that they will be unbearable this year. Cold weather coupled with social distancing will force us Hobbits into an especially lonely seclusion for the next few months. We can only hope that with the prospect of a Covid vaccine and warmer weather to look forward to as Spring approaches, those of us who are struggling right now can hang on until better days arrive.

For now, I will keep myself busy by reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy and spending as much time as possible basking in the warm glow of the smile of Miss Freya Baggins.