A Simple Theme
We know more about string theory, dark matter, and wormholes in space than we do about our brains. The brain is the last and grandest biological frontier, more intricate than Japan’s Fugaku—the supercomputer of all supercomputers. That’s why our minds are both unique and deeply mysterious. They function in ways we can’t fully comprehend. And they falter in ways we can’t entirely understand.
While we share some common brain experiences, they’re never exactly the same. Words like depression and general anxiety disorder are like motorcycle handles we can all grip, but the ride itself is experienced differently for each of us.
Depression wears many faces. It manifests differently for everyone, with pain felt in varied ways and degrees across the gray matter of our brains. To that end, if books had to perfectly replicate our personal experiences to have any value, the only books worth reading would be written by our own blood.
There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to experience depression, panic attack, or suicidal ideation.
These things simply are. Pain, like Pilates, is not a competitive sport.
C.S. Lewis once wrote, We read to know we are not alone. I believe that to be truer now than ever. All good books—at least the ones worth their salt—are, in some way, about ourselves. When I’ve read stories of others who have weathered the storm and lived to see land again, I’ve found comfort. The stories have given me hope.
I am a shameless The Lord of the Rings nerd. My wife and son never miss an opportunity to poke fun at my hobbit-like quirks. Last summer, I took them on a tour of the deer trails behind Magdalen College at Oxford. As we walked, I regaled them with tales of how J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis once strolled these same trails as friends, sharing early drafts of their great works of fiction.
They were over it in five minutes. Hot, sweaty, and ready for ice cream, they quickly tuned me out.
For fifteen years, I’ve taught a college-level seminar on The Lord of the Rings. As a precursor to our study, I like to draw my students’ attention to a moment in The Hobbit that has always been my favorite.
In this scene, Bilbo, Gandlaf, and the dwarves are pinned down by Goblins and Wargs. Their situation seems utterly hopeless. Suddenly, a great squadron of eagles, led by Gwaihir, breaks through the clouds and swoops in to rescue them from certain death.
“Look, Gandalf!” cried Bilbo. “The eagles are coming.”
At the heart of this book is a simple theme:
Bad things happen.
Hold on.
The eagles are coming.
