As I gaze out upon the majestic landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand, I sense its striking resemblance to the stunning creation wrought by JRR Tolkien in his novel “The Lord of the Rings.” In preparation for this journey I began reading a copy of the novel loaned from the public library near where we were living in Melbourne. But by unforeseen providence, and after I had discovered that the length of the loan would not permit me to bring the book with me to New Zealand, I happened upon a copy cast to the curb. It lay beside the stop where I awaited my tram every morning to fulfill the work whose payment ultimately made this journey possible.
The Lord of the Rings was born in the mind of a great and talented author, and yet no less human than any one of us. In the end his words so closely resembled the landscape here in New Zealand, that Peter Jackson ultimately brought the filming here to this stunning landscape in the end. And what a tremendous impact that small thought, which began in the mind of an author has now had upon the world at large.
Up until the time of the Lord of the Rings, I daresay that many Americans including myself, had known very little about this fabled outpost of the Commonwealth known to English-speakers as New Zealand and the to native Maori as Aotearoa. And yet it is no longer simply a British colony; it is a country in and of itself, drawing tourism and immigration from all over the world, and setting itself apart for its diverse landscape and warm, welcoming people.
Whether an idea, a country, or a dream, all must start somewhere. JRR Tolkien’s idea later became a novel and then a film, and an outpost of the British empire became its own country. Interesting now that its role as the backdrop for the film has transformed it from unknown to world-renowned. I venture that the connection that all of this bears to our own journey did not happen by mistake. We set out on our own journey starting on the 4th of September, not really knowing exactly what we were doing, nor what the future might hold. Now we have seen a good part of the southwestern United States, Hawaii, lived and worked abroad in Melbourne for almost two months, and have taken holiday in New Zealand; a land I never thought I would reach in my lifetime.
But had we never set out on that Saturday in September, had Tolkien never written out his ideas, had New Zealand never seen itself as more than just an outpost of Great Britain, none of us would have achieved what we have up to today. The world would not have the Lord of the Rings, New Zealand might still serve as an undiscovered outpost, and we ourselves, would never have beheld all of the beauty of this land, never encountered the generosity and warmth of its people, and never learned just how far our dreams might take us if only we give them flight.
Our tour of this land has enabled me to conquer many a fear, to look deep inside and see what it is that I am, and what I like about that person. For that I have only my companions, those who have helped along the way, and all of you to thank for your ongoing support and encouragement. None of this would have been possible had it not first been for you.
All of these stories are true, though they very well could have only ever happened in fictional novels. But they are real, they are true, because we had the audacity and courage to blur the lines between fiction and reality. In fiction, the good guy often wins, but he also never gives up. Thus, just as JRR Tolkien tenaciously pursued his novel, and Peter Jackson the land of New Zealand as his setting, let us be the protagonists in our own stories of life. Let us live our life stories before they reaches their respective conclusions. For as many “The Ends” as we can read through during our lifetime, for each one of us there will come only one end.
May we live our stories well.
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