(Posted on Instagram March 14, 2022)
“The rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small. But all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands, those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come.” —The Return of the King
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the way books can change depending on the circumstances in which you read them. How a set of lines you scarcely noticed on previous encounters might hit differently in different times.
I’ve been thinking about storytelling, and art, and why it is that people gravitate toward them in times of hardship. Maybe for escapism. Maybe in search of solidarity with people who have found a way through the darkness, no matter that those people aren’t real. It can feel safer to explore serious places through the eyes and hands of another, and inspiring to watch others navigate those situations with bravery, grit, messiness, or grace.
While rereading Return of the King, I read the lines at the start of this post, stopped, read them again, and put down the book. Moments like these, finding resonance and new meaning when I’m not expecting to, are one of the reasons *I* love art. They show just how far words can travel and still have power. They remind me of the value of creativity, and how important it is that those who write continue to write.
Words hold weight, but they also bring light. And that’s a nice thought to hold onto through the night. 🕯