How The One Ring Will Get You Through High School Applications And Just About Anything

I might seem, naive or cliched but we all have those moments. That get you through the horrendous NYC high school application process or just, generally life. I am talking about ones that make you feel alive, important or even enchanted.


"(What time you have) is not for you to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” -Gandalf the Fellowship of The Ring


My moment was crouching on the floor of my parents bedroom in the dark, a laptop scorching my thighs, watching the Lord of The Rings.


I know, I know the epitome of geek-dom. A vortex of self destructive obsession. Nevertheless I sat one lazy fifth grade weekend at one fifteen on a Saturday night. My father a fellow fan, forced me to read the books before I started on the movies, we all know how that turns out.


Of course I loved them devouring the books and masquerading for days as an elf or a savior of the last kingdom of men, rising up against Sauron.


So there I was in the middle of the second disk of six in the boxed set. The Fellowship Of The Ring, the fellowship had made it across the bridge of Khazad-Dum but Gandalf turned and faced the Balrog. Raising up his sword and staff together he cried, "You  Shall  Not  Pass!" He pulled the weapons down together. Then the Balrog fell through the crumbling bridge into the darkness and Gandalf with it.


Click Here For A Brief Clip Of Gandalf From The Movie


I almost stopped breathing entirely, our main character Frodo though had much more of a reason. Gandalf, a mentor and father to Frodo, left him with despair and a daunting task ahead; while I had to take a pudding break due to my excessive blubbering and sobbing. It gave me a little bit of time to think.


How could Gandalf die, he was so immortal, so powerful, so gracefull. It made my head spin. Gandalf was wise and kind he had all of the answers, without him how can we go on, it was like a kick in the ribs, hard to breathe even harder to move. We saw the grief in Merry and Pipin's tears, in Gimli's despair and Boramir's pain. It was so unbelievable, how could Frodo carry the ring on into Mordor.


But he would have to, for Frodo as we all, must carry on.

And for me that daunting task might just be getting into my top-choice High School. If you have any thoughts or comments about how a story or a song helped you carry on or about the story itself, please post a comment below.