Day 7: Courage

Yesterday I had no desire to go walking. My feet were covered in blisters, my body was sore, and I was tired. No amount of motivation seemed able to get me out of my door. So after an hour of stalling (also known as watching NCIS), I finally donned my cloak, grabbed my walking stick, and set out again. Even with the hour’s delay, I still managed to get in 9.38 miles (15.1 km). One week done, 51 more to go...

For Frodo and the hobbits, the new day is upon them and they part company with the elves to continue on to Crickhollow. At breakfast (which Pippin tried to eat most of) Frodo and Sam discuss the elves and Sam's first impression of them. And just as the reader was introduced to the elves alongside Sam, not the reader gets to see the elves through Sam’s eyes: “'They seem a bit above my likes and dislikes, so to speak,' answered Sam slowly. 'It don't seem to matter what I think about them. They are quite different from what I expected. So old and young, and so gay and sad, as it were.'” Sam is a figure that the reader will come to appreciate in the long run. He is so full of simple wisdom, traditional ways, and a heart full of good to light the way through a sometimes disheartening read. Pay close attention to Samwise as I progress further in the journey, he might just turn out to be one of the true heroes of the entire story.

As I was reading through this section in Chapter 3 of The Fellowship of the Ring, I came across a line I have long loved. In a late night discussion between Frodo and Gildor, courage is brought up:

   'But where shall I find courage?' asked Frodo. 'That is what I chiefly need.'

   'Courage is found in unlikely places,' said Gildor.

Courage is something I am in desperate need of. This journey is going to be long, 1779 miles long for goodness sake! It requires endurance, fortitude, and determination. Unless I find the courage and determination I need to finish this journey, I will give in to days like yesterday. I will let my soreness, my fatigue, and my desire to be lazy rule over these new habits I am making for myself. Now all I need to find is an unlikely place…

The Road Goes Ever On and On
~ Daisy Buttons