Taking My Child Into the West

A couple of months ago I had about 3 loads of laundry to fold all at once, so I thought I'd sit down and watch The Fellowship of The Ring whilst I folded. Mason came home near the end of the film and watched it with me. Then he asked if he could watch The Two Towers as well. We actually (because we're really good parents) took him to The Lord of the Rings movies when they were in the theatres, but as he was only 2, 3 and 4 when they came out, I don't think he got much out of them. I was delighted that he would now be interested in watching the films now because I'm such a huge fan. I also did realize that he probably had ulterior motives for watching the films: while we would be watching the movies he wouldn't have to clean his room or practice piano or do homework. It's always good to take advantage of the fact that mom is watching movies in the middle of the day. But we actually only ended up watching them on the weekends and he fell asleep pretty quickly so we didn't finish all of them until Sunday night. I think it took three sittings to finish The Return of the King. (We, of course, have the extended editions.)
So, Sunday night we had an hour and a half left of The Return of the King.
Spoiler Alert!
(Yes, there are one or two people in the world who haven't seen these movies---Mom, Bree...)
This was a grand experience to share with my son. Through the viewings of these films, I wasn't sure if Mason was really gettin' it, but some of his comments assured me that he was indeed gettin' it.

After Sam rescues Frodo from the Orcs in Mordor, they disguise themselves as Orc warriors and try to slip past the armies to Mount Doom.

The sight of the great host of Mordor prompted Mason to ask
Why are there Orcs in this world?
Because there's always bad. Wherever there is good, there is bad. You can't have good without it.
I didn't feel like going into the whole Orcs were once Elves taken by Sauron and twisted and tortured until they turned evil.
Then came Frodo and Sam's climb up Mount Doom and Sam's great speech ending with "I can't carry it for you, Mister Frodo, but I can carry you!"
This part always makes me cry.
Why?
Because they're so tired and they have no strength left, but they have to go on. They can't stop.
It must hurt to walk so much.
Frodo finally makes it to the Cracks of Doom and dangles the ring over the lava.
Drop it! Drop it! C'mon, just let it go! Drop it!
After the mountain explodes and Sam and Frodo are rescued by the Eagles, Frodo is taken to recover in a softly glowing room in Gondor. Gandalf is watching over him when awakens and Frodo knows for the first time since The Fellowship, that Gandalf is alive. Pent up emotions and relief from long suffering spill out as Gandalf laughs from deep in his soul. Then one by one the rest of the Fellowship come into Frodo's room and there is much joy.
Mommy, this part makes me cry.
At Aragorn's coronation, he comes forward to pay tribute to the four Hobbits who bow to him. He responds, "No, my friends. You bow to no one." And he takes a knee in front of them, followed by the rest of Gondor.
Why are they bowing to the hobbits?
Why do you think?
Because they did all the work.
And then, the end.
Sam, Frodo, Pippin, and Merry escort Bilbo to the Grey Havens to take the last Elf ship West. Gandalf says, "It is time, Frodo."
Frodo says his goodbyes to the others and enters the ship.
Why is Frodo going?
Because he's a ring bearer. He saved everyone and it hurt him so bad, he can't stay.
Is he going away forever and ever?
*nod*
And never coming back?
*shake*
I thought I heard small gasps or sniffles in the dark.
When I was tucking him in I asked if he liked it.
When Frodo got on the ship it made me cry.
And he began to cry.
How come?
Because they're best friends and they're never going to see each other again.
I didn't offer any condolence. No words of comfort. I think you sometimes need to let a movie make you cry. I think it's good to be affected. And it was wonderful to share this kind of emotional catharsis with my boy.

Pride in the Work Place: An Endangered Species

This morning I went to work for a full day sans children. That is a topic for another posting. This posting begins when I was walking in the front door of the MPS on this drizzly Monday morning. One of the facilities personnel was picking up a bundle of the prestigious Daily Universe that had been carelessly tossed on the wet sidewalk. In my current state of mind I was prompted to say, "Whatever happened to caring about your job?" Honestly, couldn't they have found some piece of paper or a plastic bag to wrap the papers in? O.K. so the paper is free. So, it really doesn't contain much solid journalism. So the delivery person was just doing his "campus job" to help him pay for the education that will get him his "real job." It's the principle of the thing I'm tryin' to get at here. We all know the phrase "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." I think there's a general lazy attitude in the work place, particularly in minimum wage type jobs. (That is a generalization, because I have actually had some excellent service by someone who seems to really be enjoying his job at the KFC by the Albertson's where CJane finally acquired her pumpkin pie.) You get what you pay for, you may say. But what about the phrase I've also read: "If it's not worth doing right, is it worth doing?" If you're going to do a job, do it right. If you're not going to do it right, get out of the way and let someone else do it. I think Americans have become very spoiled and unappreciative of a job. "Maybe we need another depression to make people take pride in work again." And that is what I said as I began my day at work.

Mourning My Former Self

Or at least what I perceive as my former self...
Last week I was doing sealings in the temple and there was another couple helping out. They were younger than me. Probably Zoobies. Our sealer had issues with foreign name pronunciation as most Provo Temple sealers do, bless their hearts. Every new name would bring a stiffled giggle from the Zoobies. They were not cruel. They were just enjoying the experience and each others' company. They were light hearted, but not light minded. (At least that's my perception.)
I think I was like that once. I mentioned in a previous posting that I was once a romantic, but now consider myself a realist. What's more is that I think that I am very literal. As I noticed the bright couple, I had to look at myself in the mirror because I thought that I might have a scowl on my face. I suddenly panicked that I used to be carefree and joyful, but that now I'm not. I used to make people laugh. Now I don't even talk to people any more than I have to because I have "too much stuff to do." This is not the way I want to be. But I think I'm having a hard time extricating myself from this "gotta do more, gotta be more" mode in which I've entrenched myself. Plus I've seen and I've read about a lot of crap that goes on in this world. From injustices and pettiness in the Church Office Building to Pres. Mugabe's corruption and tyranny. I think I've allowed them to weigh down my soul.
What about just living? What about being an optimist? What about dreams? What about dreams coming true? But what about racism, pornography, child abuse, poverty, unpunished sexual predators, war, disease?
I'm distressed. And I want to be joyful.
I'm burdened with cares that are not my own. But we're supposed to bear one another's burdens.
I am blessed. But I don't feel like I reflect that.
I have put away my child self and I want her back!