A little Tolkien:

[Atticus]

"I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Yup.

[piddyprints]

1. I'm listening to it now.

I’ve read it several times before and decided to try the audio version, read by Andy Serkis. It’s fabulous!

Anyway, I just hear that passage yesterday and thought the same thing: Yup.

[speak easy]

5. Precious!

[2naSalit]

2. K&R

[yardwork]

3. Written from the depths of his despair serving in WWI.

I often think of that passage. Tolkien knew from first hand experience what it was like to survive hell on earth.

[Magoo48]

4. I've always loved that bit.

[Wounded Bear]

6. K & R...Tolkien buried quite a bit of wisdom in those books...nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. Hard won wisdom from Tolkien's time in the dead marshes of hell...

The Somme.

[paleotn]

9. He had a lot of material to work from.

His generation was also subject to the ancient, Chinese curse....may you live in "interesting" times.

[Phoenix61]

8. I've always loved The Hobbit

I read it the first time when I was in 7th grade and thought it was a great fantasy story. I’ve read it several times over the years and always get a little more out of it. I think that’s what makes him such a great writer, there’s all those layers woven together.

[KPN]

10. Ah, Tolkein! What a find Atticus. I just had a discussion last night with one of my kids about

the "dark times" we are living in and how we as individuals must, could or will cope with them . So it felt really good reading this the very first thing this morning. That truly is all that we have to do -- "decide what to do with the time that is given us". It "is not for them to decide". As individuals, we all have the ability to decide.

The question is what will we decide to do with the time we each have. My kid is actually thinking of and actually looking into emigrating. I can't say that I blame him.

[FoxNewsSucks]

11. I don't blame him either.

If there was a way I could go to Canada or New Zealand I wouldn't hesitate.

Fascism likely won't overtake Canada nearly as soon as here, and the weather won't be unbearably hot. Actually, from a standpoint of politics and weather, Finland looks pretty damn good too.

[KPN]

12. Right?!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. K&R

[Patton French]

14. A brilliant writer

Who had a gift for framing good versus evil. And he made up an entire language!