The Tolkien Coming of Age Club 2

[Estelyn Telcontar]

My Middle-earth moments are closely connected with nature; when I walk, I try to be consciously aware of what’s around me, experiencing it with as many senses as possible. It’s easiest to do that in Spring, I think, after the bareness of winter makes everything look “fresh and poignant”, as Lothlórien did to Frodo when he entered that land.

I’m acutely aware of flowers, both wild and in gardens. Sometimes tiny blossoms are so wonderfully detailed that I marvel over them. (Beside one of my favorite paths, I saw some little yellow, star-shaped wildflowers that I dubbed “elanor”.) I stick my nose in every lilac bush and kneel down to sniff the scent of lilies-of-the-valley. And above all, I touch trees, hedges, and bushes. No, I’m not a tree-hugger, but I love feeling the softness of new leaves and fresh evergreen tips! A friend once told me that she could recognize me from a long distance because I always have my arm stretched out when I walk past anything green in the spring.

The feeling of wonder is what I connect with Middle-earth.