A Ring in the Dark

The One Ring. The greatest of the Rings of Power. The Ring of Sauron the Dark Lord. Sauron poured all of his malice and dark power into the Ring upon its forging. He gave up so much of his power that without the Ring he was but a shadow in the world. When Isildur overthrew the Dark Lord and took the Ring as his own, the dark power in the Ring produced a will that drove it from master to master, searching in vain for the hand of Sauron. Isildur died when he was ambushed at the Great River and the Ring was lost in its depths for thousands of years. It was rediscovered by two fishing friends, Deagol and Smeagol. The desire of the Ring drove Smeagol to kill Deagol and use the Ring for evil purposes. Smeagol was cast out of his home so he hid himself under the mountains where his transformation into the creature, Gollum, was completed. Gollum held the Ring for centuries until it, sensing the growing power of Sauron in the world, slipped from his finger to be found by the oddest person, Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit. Bilbo was a good-hearted hobbit that had reluctantly traveled as a professional burglar with a company of dwarves seeking their long, lost treasure. He had many adventures and learned a great deal about himself and how resourceful and resilient hobbits could be in a pinch. He came away with hero status and a horde of gold, but his greatest treasure remained a secret to a select few, the One Ring. Bilbo returned to his home and lived a long life. As he got older, the desire for new adventures led him to set out into the world once again. He left all of his possessions, including the Ring, to his nephew and heir, Frodo Baggins. Frodo suspected the potential power in the Ring as he had been warned against using it by Gandalf the Wizard. Gandalf sought more knowledge of the Ring and he set out on a series of travels, visiting Frodo every few years. After a nine year absence, he returned to Frodo, sure of the nature of the Ring and its dark history. On a bright afternoon, Gandalf told Frodo the tale of the Ring and tried to reassure the hobbit of his importance in the grand design of the world.

"It is no laughing matter," said Gandalf. "Not for you. It was the strangest event in the whole history of the Ring so far: Bilbo's arrival just at that time, and putting his hand on it, blindly, in the dark.
"There was more than one power at work, Frodo. The Ring was trying to get back to its master. It had slipped from Isildur's hand and betrayed him; then when a chance came it caught poor Deagol, and he was murdered; and after that Gollum, and it had devoured him. It could make no further use of him: he was too small and mean; and as long as it stayed with him he would never leave his deep pool again. So now, when its master was awake once more and sending out his dark thought from Mirkwood, it abandoned Gollum. Only to be picked up by the most unlikely person imaginable: Bilbo from the Shire!
"Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought.
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954
The Shadow of the Past

Things happen exactly when they're supposed to. There's only one way to tell a story, and life is a story. As a teenager, I started questioning the stories I interacted with in books and movies. Outlandish elements, like the girl who investigates the graveyard at night by herself, just didn't sit well with me. "Why is she doing that? This just doesn't make any sense. People don't act this way. This could never happen." Then a revelation hit me while pondering the absurdity of it all: if those things didn't happen, then there would be no story to tell. Things need to happen to be able to tell a story. And they can only happen in a certain order. Event A leads to Event B leads to Event C. They all build upon one another. This improved my storytelling skills but it also impacted my life as I began to apply this thinking to my philosophy. I could look back at how the events in my life unfolded into each other. I realized "This never would have happened if that hadn't happened first." The more I pondered it, the more I could see a pattern.

After high school, I had no plans for the future, no career in mind. I was content just to do menial work and create in my spare time. My future wife often asked me what I wanted to do but I had no answer. I applied for a job at a Home Depot which could pay pretty well and offer stability but I sabotaged it by failing the drug test. I noticed a few days later that my local comic book store was hiring so I filled out an application and got the job (because I was the least geeky I was later told). Working at the comic store was the greatest job I've ever had in my life. My coworkers were awesome, I got to see all the new books and toys, and I managed to write and draw my own comic because of the inspiring environment. I also learned that I enjoyed working around books and organizing them. When the shop went out of business a couple years later, I had an idea of the kind of career I might pursue. Books and organizing? I'll be a librarian. And now I am. So looking back, I had to miss the job at Home Depot so I could get the job at the comic store so I could learn what I enjoy doing so I could make the effort to become a librarian. Event A leads to Event B leads to Event C. It couldn't have happened any other way. Or maybe it could have but it would have taken longer. You just need to trust that your story is unfolding exactly the way it's supposed to. Even the bad decisions, like failing a drug test, lead to the right end.

I became fascinated with recognizing the pattern and noticing how a whole bunch of little things came together perfectly to create a singular moment. Some people call it serendipity or synchronicity. The more I noticed it, the more it became part of my reality. How does all this work out so perfectly? Einstein theorized that, at the moment of the Big Bang, everything that has happened or ever will happen occurred in that initial instance. Events appear to happen in a sequence so our minds can comprehend a reality without being overwhelmed by the amount of information. In some small part of the mind we already know what's going to happen next. I think moments of deja vu are instances of our mind accessing the knowledge that "this has already happened." We are watching our life's story unfold. So pay attention to that little voice of intuition that directs your actions even when the story seems absurd. We often ignore it, but it may lead you to exactly where you're supposed to be going. Things happen exactly when they're supposed to.

"Sometimes you put your hand on a ring in the dark, and things are just supposed to happen that way."
David Ege, 2005

Feel the Force

The dying scream of the Tauntaun echoed through the Wampa's lair. The ice monster tore with relish into its freshest kill. The death knell pierced Luke Skywalker's ears, shaking him back to consciousness. Blood pounded in his brain as he realized he was suspended upside down. He pulled himself up and struggled with the ice that held him fast to the ceiling but to no avail. He hadn't the strength to wrench himself free. His body fell limply back to its original position and as he stared at the snowdrifts covering the floor of the cave his eyes settled on a metallic object. His lightsaber. It must have fallen from his belt and now lay half buried just out of reach. Luke frantically reached out, trying to extend his body to its fullest. The rising panic increased his flailing, which caught the attention of the Wampa, but brought him no closer to the weapon. Suddenly the words of the old Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, sprang into his mind. Luke relaxed his body. He closed his eyes and stretched out his feelings to the energy of the universe, the Force. The approaching terror of the ice creature could not break his connection, Luke could feel the power within him. He slowly opened his eyes and held out his hand to the lightsaber. It stirred. Luke could hear the Wampa's footsteps edging closer but his oneness with the Force calmed his body and mind. The weapon leapt into his hand. The shimmering blade shattered the ice enclosing his feet and Luke toppled to the ground. The Wampa was upon him. He dismembered the monster with one swift stroke and fled the cave into a blinding snowstorm.
The Empire Strikes Back, 1980

I love this example of Luke first using the Force. He used it when he launched his proton torpedoes and destroyed the Death Star but it was hardly noticeable without Darth Vader's comment that he could feel the Force emanating from the pilot he chased. The incident in the Wampa's cave shows Luke using the techniques taught to him by Obi-Wan. I keep these words handy in my mind to deal with stressful situations.

"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him."
"You mean it controls your actions?"
"Partially. But it also obeys your commands."
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker
Star Wars, 1977

"Stretch out with your feelings."
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars, 1977

"Use the Force, Luke. Let go, Luke. Luke, trust me."
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars, 1977

I started relying on these lessons when I first went back to college after 6 years of not being in school. I had to face taking tests again and often worried if I would be able to remember anything. The professor that taught me German said that once you learn something it's in your brain but factors like stress and time limits make you forget or block information. This sounded logical to me so I turned to the words of Obi-Wan as a calming technique. On the day of an exam, I would study up until I entered the classroom, usually around 10 minutes early, and then I would sit with my eyes closed trying to calm my mind. Sometimes while writing an essay I would hit a block. I would just set my pencil down and I could hear Obi-Wan's voice in my head. I would calm down, recall what I wanted to say, and be able to resume writing. I could feel the Force flowing through me.

These words of wisdom are necessary when I get behind the wheel of a car. I'm a madman. I hate the way people drive. I've tried to self-analyze this and the only answer I could come up with was "These people can kill me." I'm convinced that people run on auto-pilot 99% of the their day, especially when doing something that is routine like driving. This is just unacceptable. You have to be totally aware at every single second and watch not only your own driving but all the drivers around you as well. My hatred of the human race stems from the fact that I feel there is usually zero thinking going on inside people's heads. I'm okay with that, but when you're driving a car you need to think. Other people's lives are at stake. It's the one time I demand that people use their brain. My grandfather was killed by a trucker that fell asleep at the wheel and I'm sure this contributes to my expectations. My wife hates when I rant when I drive. It's not every minute, but, boy, do I get nuts when someone does something stupid. "Why did you do that? What's the logic behind it? There must not be a thought in that person's head!" I usually watch my language but my kids get an earful when someone makes a dumb decision on the road. They usually just tell me to stop saying bad words, but I have taught them my calming techniques and they pull them out every now and again. Not only in the car but also if I'm angry around the house. If I can't calm myself, I ask my older son to help me and he knows " A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him." My younger son doesn't quite know the words but I've explained the lesson of Luke in the Wampa's cave so when he sees me upset he'll tell me "Remember Luke in the Wampa's cave." It helps me but I think he's more interested in the monster getting his arm chopped off. Life is full of high stress situations and it is helpful to stay calm. So stretch out with your feelings and feel the Force.