I don't sing. But when I was around middle school to high school, there was one song I would sing in the car with my family. It was "Gollum's Song" by Emiliana Torrini from the soundtrack for The Two Towers. And you know what else? At that time when I was very much into The Lord of the Rings, of all of the characters, the one that I felt like I related to most was Gollum.
On the one hand, I think I was mainly considering my own shortcomings. But on the other hand, there was probably something else that I didn't quiet realize. Gollum is the isolated character, longing for satisfaction. He just wants to go sit in his cave with his precious. That's all. But it's this all-consuming, draining longing. Now that I think about it again from years later, it makes sense that such a character would be relatable to a 12-13 year old having trouble finding a place in the social circles.
Nowadays I like more to relate to Galadriel. And you know what, she has more in common with Gollum than you might think. She also hides away in Lothlorien, as if it's a cave of her own. (Granted, Galadriel was also an adventurer in her youth, making the trip from Valinor to Middle-earth, and she remains a sort of activist involved in the goings on of the world.) She has a bit of a hermit quality, too. But in a good way. She made Lothlorien and she married Celeborn and they have a life there together and she's the keeper of one of the Rings and she uses it to create a little light in an ever-darkening world. She is, too, a hospitable host and shelterer of weary travelers. So from her one little spot, she has a great and positive influence. She takes who she is and what she has and she uses it.
"I wish none of this had happened. I wish the Ring had never even come to me," said Frodo; to which Gandalf replied, "So do I. And so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
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