Bilbo Baggins

In honour of the third installment of The Hobbit and my deep love of Middle Earth.

Dear Bilbo Baggins,

Let me just start by saying that though I have a deep love and admiration for you I really hate your name.

Like, really hate it.

This is why for the purpose of this letter I am going to call you Bill. Sound good? Great.

And he reads too! How dreamy!

Bill, I have always identified more with you than with any other hero in Middle Earth. The first chapters where you bask in the comfort of your Hobbit Hole while despairing over the ill-mannered intrusion of the dwarves earned my devotion at a very young age.

You see, I too prefer to sit at home with my many snacks and books than traipse through unknown lands. (At least I would if Orcs were real and I had to worry about disembowelment. I feel like fear of disembowelment puts a damper on things.)

I also wholeheartedly agree with you, Adventures DO make you late for dinner!

But despite your love of a quiet night in you faced your fear and joined those dwarves on their adventure! This has changed me more than I can say.

Throughout my life I have literally said the mantra “What would Bill(bo) do?!” whenever faced with the choice of comfort versus excitement. And while comfort often won out there were many times where excitement and adventure ruled my life. My own excursion to Middle Earth (chronicled in my Travel Story: Read Between the Lines) was inspired by you, and while I never found the means to become invisible I also never endangered my hometown by bringing The One Ring home and leaving it with my nephew so I think that makes us even.

It is because of you that I chose to be a Halfling the few times I played D&D, and I always made sure my character hemmed and hawed about decisions, asking more than a few times about when dinner was being served.

It is because of you that I understand the value of risks.

I love you, dear Bill, and thank you for the influence you have had on my life. It is with a bittersweet heart that I count down the days until the third Hobbit movie comes out, marking the end of my big screen encounters with Middle Earth (though now I can start counting down for the extended edition’s Blu-ray release which I will obviously buy).

With all my love and devotion,

S.M.R.P

PS. It doesn’t hurt that you are played by Martin Freeman in the Hobbit Movies. I sure do love Martin Freeman.