On beating the winter blues with Tolkien and the reading bunch

"Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast

In a field I looked into going past.

And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,

But a few weeds and stubble showing last."

That opening verse of Robert Frost's poem, Desert Places, jumped into my mind last week while I was seated at my computer, looking northwest out of the upstairs window at the growing number of snowflakes adding yet another layer of white to the landscape.

The remainder of the poem was also a perfect fit for the 'blue' mood that the weather of the past week helped create. As Frost says on my behalf:

"The woods around it have it - it is theirs.

All animals are smothered in their lairs.

I am too absent-spirited to count;

The loneliness includes me unawares.

"And lonely as it is that loneliness

Will be more lonely ere it will be less -

A blanker whiteness of benighted snow

With no expression, nothing to express.

"They cannot scare me with their empty spaces

Between stars - on stars where no human race is.

I have it in me so much nearer home

To scare myself with my own desert places."

It should be noted that I don't pretend to have a great knowledge of poetry. Certainly there are many people - students of literature and poetry - who can rattle off any number of verses and repeat verbatim the words written by wonderful authors that capture the imagination of readers and listeners alike. I cannot do that.

What I do possess is an appreciation for the art of writing - and, when it's done properly, it is truly a work of art - and a real love for the written and spoken word. Literature, art, music - all speak to the soul, helping fill the "desert places" Frost so eloquently detailed in poetic form.

As winter drags on - and on - books can be a vehicle for escape to different places and other time periods, both past and future. You're never too old, or young, to pick up a book and do some 'mind traveling.'

Reading a good book may not cure the winter blues - only real spring sunshine and warm temperatures can do that - but it does offer a respite.

I've been trying to practice what I preach via on all-out assault on a massive piece of literature, J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. It's been a good many years since I read the prequel, The Hobbit, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but never had any success in getting through the "Ring" books.

A challenge from one of my sons pushed me to try again. Aaron was determined to read all Tolkien had to offer before seeing the movie version of The Fellowship of the Rings. If he could wade through 1,069 pages, so could his mother.

I have to admit the reading assignment is much easier this time around thanks to the book he purchased: a hardcover edition containing all three works with beautiful illustrations - and nice, big print. Tons better than a tiny paperback with ittsy-bitsy type.

So, for the past few weeks I've been happily following Frodo and his traveling companions to Rivendell and beyond in the great adventure to overthrow the Lord of Mordor. We've got a long road ahead of us for sure - but I think this time I just may make it to the end.

* * * * * *

If Tolkien isn't to your liking, or any fictitious story, there are some very good non-fiction works that have occupied my time in the past few months that I'm happy to recommend - thanks to another fellowship of sorts with some local readers: Bob Thompson, Janet Wolfinger, Mike Cain, Dave Ivan, Mike Nobach and Ben Munger

Our little reading group is really Bob's baby. He has a habit of praising some book or another he has read that offers insights into a wide range of subjects and issues. "You've just got to read this book," he'll say, rattling off information he's gleaned from whatever tome it is he's pushing at that particular time.

The book that got us started was The Future of Success by Robert Reich. Bob had read a previous Reich book, The Work of Nations, and thought the follow-up offered ideas that were applicable here in Clinton County. That premise of reading and attempting to implement ideas at the local level is still a function of the group.

Bits and pieces that have been gleaned from subsequent monthly readings are proving to be helpful in identifying strategies for dealing with issues confronting folks right here in Clinton County.

An example comes from the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. In it the author goes 'undercover' at four different locations around the United States to see if she can "make ends meet" on the low-income jobs that are readily available. A major challenge she faces is familiar to our own area residents - transportation.

While we didn’t arrive at any quick-fix solutions at our book club discussion that day, the discussion did prompt some interesting exchanges and certainly created a sense of heightened awareness about the need for public transportation at the county level.

Other books which we've read in subsequent months include Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis, a very interesting work on the early years of our nation; The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman, all you wanted to know (or not) about globalization; and The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, a fascinating study on two men who played a key role in the making of the first Oxford English Dictionary.

Our assignment for April is Love is a Killer App by Tim Sanders - a book recommended by Ben's son, Chad, as "the" business book of choice today about 'networking' and developing contacts for professional and personal advancement.

Sort of like Frodo and Sam meeting up with Gandalf and Strider, I guess.

Stay tuned.