At the end of quests.

When Frodo was done with his quest to save Middle Earth, when he had gone back to his Hobbit hole, written the book, and thrown the party: what then? Did he kick up his feet with the Elves and toss back a few cold ones and watch Friends reruns? I mean, nothing in his life would ever top saving the entire world from the forces of evil and coming back to tell of it. There would never be another adventure like that one for him. Wouldn’t his life seem boring after that?

The same goes for us. After the work is done, after the mountains have been climbed, after we’ve set and met our personal goals, what’s left? You can’t do it forever. It’ll wear you out. Is it right, then, to sit on ones laurels and relax?

Imagine you became a lawyer. You went to school for seven years. You came out top of your class. You got a job that was just class. You won a few big cases. Then what?

I don’t think people were made to be thrill-seekers like that. But after the personal highs, the lows seem so much lower, wouldn’t you think?

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Posted September 28th, 2004 in main.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous:

    You draw upon the example of a lawyer going to school for seven years… getting a job that’s “just class”… and going on to win a few big cases in your discussion of personal lows becoming much lower in relation to the highs becoming that much higher, but a point that may be forgotten in this analogy is the continuation of the quest of individuals, such as lawyers, in day-to-day life.

    Using your example of a lawyer, the summation of years of rigorous post-secondary education combined with preparing for, researching, and presenting a litigation case with such precision and influence so as to win a case is not the proverbial icing on the cake. Far from it. It is but a stepping stone towards greater things.

    What greater things, you may ask? Greater things such as bringing about legislative change that would set a new precendent for way justice is carried out throughout a nation. Think, for example, of the former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau in his vehement support of the Constitution… he said that the government has no place in the bedrooms of Canadians. Thus, abortion and other heinous acts got the figurative (or perhaps literal) thumbs-up and that particular lawyer won what he would consider to be a big case. Where did he go on from there? What did P.E. Trudeau seek to achieve after winning that “big case”? He governed a nation for years and years, he changed countless policies and laws and left his imprint (sometimes with his middle “fuddle-duddle” finger) on all who would come after him. Did that make his highs higher and his lows lower? Perhaps, but it also fueled the fire for any to come who would work in the legal profession after him for he had set into motion a new standard for others to attain to reach and maintain to to change.

    Yes, personal lows may become lower as the highs become higher but that isn’t necessarily a negative thing. Standards have been set, the bar has been raised, so to speak. And one must continue on and perservere in order to continue on in the journey. The question that ought to be raised now is how will you continue on in your journey? What imprint will you leave behind?

    September 28th, 2004 at 11:11 am
  2. Scatterfingers:

    I love it when I ask a question and people assume I’m making a comment. Thanks for the rant.

    September 28th, 2004 at 12:55 pm
  3. Anonymous:

    is it just me, or did Frodo go away with the elves?

    October 1st, 2004 at 5:25 am
  4. Scatterfingers:

    Did he kick up his feet with the Elves and toss back a few cold ones and watch Friends reruns?

    October 1st, 2004 at 6:26 pm
  5. Anonymous:

    i think the point that he went back with the elves is referring to something of mystique. Tolkien always creates a certain mysticism about the elves and a sense of honored wonder about those in their company. it was the highest honor for Frodo that he could go back with them.

    but aside from the analogy, which isn’t the point and thus doesn’t deserve being beaten to death…

    i agree… the lows would seem that much lower. but does that mean we can’t go for the gold? i don’t think you can say we’re meant to function one way and not the other - some people would rather not, but to some, the low lows are worth it if they get to experience the high highs, rather than monotonous (relatively speaking) existence. to each his own.

    now i’m doubting myself. maybe you wouldn’t feel the lows that much lower… maybe the memories would be wonderful to relive. i dunno.

    MASTAK

    October 15th, 2004 at 5:49 am

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