[*Varda*]

Well, when I first read the question, I thought LEFT! without a doubt!

But then I sat and thought about it some more. Think about what you'd be giving up. Sure, this world is a crappy place in many ways. But even so - you'd be leaving many people you loved behind, you'd never see them again. It would be a major culture shock and who's to say you would actually fit in when you got there. How long could you realistically survive without proper sanitation, computers, tv etc. I know many say 'hey, that'd be easy!'. It could be different once you were there. You'd always be wondering what was going on in this world. You'd never know what happened to your family and friends that didn't come with you. And add to that Middle Earth was slowly fading away...the elves were fast disappearing.

But if you didn't go...you would be forever wondering what would have happened, what could have been. All those what if's. What would life have been like. You could have left this shallow material world and been in a far more beautiful world where appearances didn't seem to matter so much. You could have been a part of that history.

So, after all that, I still don't know. If I could be an elf (therefore being able to go to Aman, live forever etc.) and if I could take all my family and all my friends - I would go left. But what if you couldn't place conditions? I think I would stay here. But then I'd always feel regretful.

But as was previously said, if a portal just opened up, I would think it must have done for a reason. There would be some reason I should go to Middle Earth. But if my friends and family didn't want to come - I don't know if I could go alone and leave my whole life behind me.

[ June 30, 2003: Message edited by: *Varda* ]