**Nerd Alert**

Yesterday was Kerala's 50th birthday, and there's a lot that I wanted to write about its past, present, and future; its progress and problems. But while I was taking my after-dinner walk last night, I found myself thinking about something more important-- Lord Of the Rings.

In particular, I was contemplating what it means to live a life of service and how I view my role in the US in light of the experiences I'm having here. Old topics, yes. But somehow I ended up thinking about them in a new way.

The last line of the books popped into my head-- "'Well, I'm back,' he said."

Sam Gamgee had been on an amazing, transformative adventure and had played a pretty significant role in saving the world; but after that was all over, he returned to the Shire to live a "normal" life. And it seems to me that Sam's character and this line of text have some pretty deep implications for a life of service and for the transition from a great adventure into a "normal" life.

I see a lot of myself in Sam-- or at least a lot of qualities that I would like to have-- and think that there are some valuable lessons that I can learn from his life. To begin with, Sam is a servant whose actions are dictated by nothing but simple, uncomplicated love. And it is precisely these qualities that make him so noble and heroic.

As Frodo's gardener, Sam is, quite literally, a servant. He is motivated simply by the love of his master and the vow to never leave his side. So even after the Fellowship is broken and the other hobbits take on the roles of normative, combative, military heroes, Sam simply remains at Frodo's side as his servant and his friend. Even though he doesn't really understand it, Sam does everything he can to make Frodo's burden more bearable. And it's important to note that Sam's devotion and servanthood is based, not on submission or any power-based domination being exercised over him, but on love.

Frodo is the one who is burdened with the job of world-saving. While the powerful, visible, and famous heroes and leaders duke it out on the world stage, small, insignificant Frodo stumbles forward with the fate (and the weight) of the world around his neck like a millstone. He is, I think, our grass roots activists, struggling against all odds to save the world from the domination of evil, with no fame and no credit until their work yields fruit-- then they are snatched into the spotlight and turned into heroes. But labouring even more invisibly is Sam, who with his love and care supports his master, picking him up when he stumbles, keeping him company on the long, hard road. Sam isn't interested in the fame or power that the Ring represents and promises. He gets a glimpse of it, but it doesn't do anything for him. He actually finds the image of himself as a hero ridiculous. All he wants is for Frodo to be safe and happy.

I wonder if Sam ever questioned his role in the larger scheme of things; if he ever wondered what good he was in the Big Picture; if he was ever like "Man, Frodo and Aragorn and Gandalf are doing all the really important stuff. What the crap good am I?"

I don't think he did. I don't think he was at all concerned with or aware of what was going on in the Big Picture. For everyone else in the story, it may have been a matter of Good vs Evil, Fate of the World kind of thing. But Sam's only concern was Frodo-- keeping him safe and just doing the "Next Right Thing." The only thing that dictates Sam's actions is the mandate "Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee." Sounds easy, but I think Sam's job was harder than we give him credit for. Even though Frodo tries to sneak away, has his heart and mind poisoned by the power of the Ring and turns agains Sam, seems to be dead and captured beyond any hope of rescue, Sam's simple love and devotion spur him on to selfless, unsung acts of heroism.The most poignant of which, for me, is his insistence that "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you."

When the burden and the damage inflicted on him during and by the harsh journey simply become too much for him, Frodo collapses, unable to get up again, in sight of their final destination. Sam has already possessed the ring for a short time and knows that Frodo could not bear to be parted from it. Sam is very clear that it is not his place to wield power. Their roles at this point are very well defined and immutable. Frodo is the ring-bearer, and Sam is his servant. But from his servant's position of powerlessness, Sam is able to make this heroic gesture. It's a powerful image; Sam, the servant, doggedly trudging up the slopes of Mount Doom carrying his half-dead master so they can get the job done.

When the real heroes become exhausted and fall short of the goal, it's the servants who have to pick them up and carry them those last few steps.

Wow.

So once the job is done, and the hobbits return to (and fix) the Shire, their adventure is over. Now what? Frodo, the ring-bearer, the saviour of the world, has been so changed and so damaged by his travels that he is unable to resituate himself in the life of the Shire. He suffers from the wounds and clings to the memories of his adventure, doing all that he can to keep his experiences alive-- writing a book about them, walking through the woods under the stars, meeting with elves and dwarves to hear news of the world outside. Similarly, Merry and Pippin, who became soldiers and warriors (of sorts) after the breaking of the Fellowship, also had trouble re-entering the normal, boring life of hobbits.

Sam was changed, yes, but he never stopped being Sam. He didn't have any trouble being a "normal" hobbit after his return because he had never stopped being one. Of course, he had grown from his experiences and adventures, and was wiser and more self-confident and had really grown into himself. But that's the difference... while the other hobbits were transformed into completely different people (or whatever), Sam just kept doing his thing and in the end was even more himself. And by returning home and re-entering life as a well-actualized, mindful, loving, and responsible hobbit, it is Sam who becomes the real hero by having kids and becoming the hope of the future. Sam was able to have the last line of the books and say "Well, I'm back" because he was the only hobbit able to return to and build on the life he left. The adventure of the ring pretty much marked the end of life for the other hobbits. For Sam it was just a beginning.

If that makes any sense at all.

So here, in brief, is what I get from this:
1) Be a servant. Serve from the basis of love and complete selflessness. Serve those who are struggling .

2) Because even the smallest act of love can have global repercussions, just be mindful in the moment and do the Next Right Thing. Don't worry too much about the Big Picture. And invest your energy working with people; not the Picture.

3) Don't overanalyze where you fit in or what possible good you are. Just do your thing, whatever that may be. And as long as you act out of love, selflessness, compassion, and mindfulness, your role will be a positive one.

4) Piggybacking on that last point-- don't judge what you do as any more or less good or worthwhile than what others do.

5) Contrary to what anyone might say, there is great heroism in living a "normal" life responsibly, mindfully, and lovingly and nurturing those same qualities in children (yours or others'). This is the only real hope for the future.

6) When your great adventure is over, take the lessons you've learned and use them to keep building a good, responsible life. Life doesn't stop when your adventure does.

7) Treasure the experiences and memories of your great adventure, but don't cling to them.

Peace