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Tolkien To Ride

By Wendy Macario

By Wendy MacarioPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Growing up in the ‘80s was pretty magical—pun intended, I suppose. Some of the best fantasy fiction and films emerged then—Willow, The Dark Crystal, The Neverending Story and before Peter Jackson, there was The Hobbit animated film. I grew up watching all of these. I am the youngest of 3 siblings, all of us born in the ‘70s; so Star Wars also informed so much of our childhood imaginations.

My dad, a lover of fantasy fiction—Terry Brooks and J.R.R. Tolkien among his favourites—was a shift worker at a Steel factory. So, he wasn’t often home to tuck us into bed or read us bedtime stories. Our mom was always a little too busy and too tired to read to us either; there was a seemingly endless amount of laundry to be done with 3 kids, after all.

One of my favourite childhood memories is the summer that our dad decided to read “The Hobbit” to us, a chapter at a time before bed each night that he wasn’t working. Until that time, I had only read Little Critter and Robert Munsch books, and was captivated by the world Tolkien had created and the depth of character and richness of storytelling found in The Shire and Middle Earth beyond. The vivid imagery would stay with me long after being tucked in and the lights turned out. I remember picturing Bilbo’s feet—all hairy and thick-skinned—and laughing at his love of all things edible and his hatred of discomfort.

My dad’s voice was deep and comforting. Sensing his personal enthusiasm and enjoyment of the story served to deepen my own interest and amusement. My brother, sister and me had laid on the bed quietly, completely mesmerized by Bilbo and his friends’ magical and often dangerous journey. Our dad didn’t often pay us this kind of attention, so we soaked it up while we could. I remember feeling so secure there with my siblings and under the commanding and animated voice of our father. I always slept really well on those nights.

Fast forward many years, and my parents and my siblings actually had the pleasure of going to the theatre to experience Peter Jackson’s masterful trilogies of both The Lord of The Rings, and The Hobbit.

Fast forward another decade or so, my parents have since passed away and my siblings live too far away to see very often. I miss them all very much. Thankfully, I now have a family of my own—my husband and our 4 boys.

One summer, several years ago, I carried forward the tradition and read “The Hobbit” to my own children. Doing this helped me to create a deeper connection with my dad that I didn’t feel before. I’d like to think that one day they might also read this novel to their kids.

Re-reading this masterpiece of fiction and fantasy has given me a profound appreciation for those who have the gift of writing and choose to use it to inspire imagination and hope in the world. Life can be difficult and painful just as it can be filled with enjoyment and love. We need writers and their stories that can whisk us away to far off worlds where anything is possible. This is a much needed part of life as far as I’m concerned. I’m not referring to mere escapism, but instead into ourselves and the meditation of our own hopes and dreams. A journey of self discovery that awakens our deepest desires and highlights that which we hold dear.

For me, “The Hobbit” will always remind me of my dad and of that feeling of childlike wonder and the security of having my dad near and engaged with us in that way. I still love to read because of this wonderful experience I had as a young girl. I’ve tried to instill a love of reading and writing in my own children. Books have often been given as birthday and Christmas gifts in our home. I pray they will remember our times of reading together with the same fondness that I have for my dad. Hopefully they, like Bilbo, will have the courage to venture beyond their Hobbit holes and go on many adventures.

literature
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About the Creator

Wendy Macario

Wendy Macario lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and 4 children. She loves reading, music, art, and creative writing. She is a Registered Nurse and self-proclaimed cinephile.

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