Abducted by Carrie Readalong Part 2

I had a great time listening to Carrie last weekend and I'm excited to take part in the discussion questions created by Midnyte Reader! 

1. There is a part quoted form "My Name is Susan Snell" when she stated that she is not really sorry that Tommy is dead anymore, because the idea of him was too perfect.  I was kind of shocked by this.  What do you think of this?

I wasn't shocked by her not feeling sorry for Tommy's death anymore, but not because of the reason that she gave. I think when a person lives through a tragedy on the scale that Sue did, all of the deaths become a numb space. Like sometimes the grief is so strong that your body can't even feel it. And yes, I believed that she loved Tommy and that Tommy loved her. I just took it as her feelings about his death was masked and mixed in with all that other grief to the point where she just couldn't feel it anymore.

2. Miss Desjardin talked to Carrie about her own prom.  And for Carrie, the prom was magical up to a point.  Did you have any glamorized feelings about your own prom?

Not really. I had originally planned to go to prom with one group of friends and then I changed my mind and decided to go to the prom with a different group of friends. Bad decision! The second group of friends all had dates and even though I knew and was friends with all of them, I still felt like the 5th wheel. I am glad that I went and I LOVED my dress. But if I could go back I would have gone with the other girls FOR SURE! 

3. When Sue was at home on prom night she said that she was still uncomfortable about her own motives and was afraid to examine them too closely in case she discovered selfishness.  Can you elaborate on this?

I always try to remind myself not to analyze things too closely because everything can get messy if you do. I'm thinking about volunteering at a food kitchen. Is this because I want to help others or is it because I need an ego boost? I'm thinking about telling my friend how I really feel about the choices she is making. Is this because I want to help her or is it because I want to get things off my chest and want to insert my opinions? See, messy messy messy! 

4. Do you think that Tommy could have fallen for Carrie?

Do I think that Tommy could have fallen for Carrie? Yes. Even with all is smooth talking that night, do I think that he had started to...no, not really. I think he was infatuated with the whole Prom thing and I do think he had a kind and caring heart and was impressed by her. I also kind of suspected that maybe Carrie's "uniqueness" had a little something to do with his sudden feelings for her. No matter how faint they were. 

5. Tell me what you think of the significance or symbolism of blood.  (Tommy pricked his finger, Mrs. White cut herself, Sue either got her period late or lost a pregnancy.)

I took the blood to be a symbol of sacrifice. And maybe that was too much on the surface because Mrs. White was always preaching about blood being a sacrifice, but I really felt it was true in the end. Carrie was sacrifice that the town needed in order to finally see the truth about their kids and how they were treating each other.  

6. If that prank had not been played on Carrie at the prom, what kind of life do you think she would have had?

My feelings on this question remind me of the ending of the Breakfast Club. When Molly Ringwald gives her big speech about how yes, they all had bonded that day but the truth was they probably would barely go beyond smiling at each other in the halls come Monday. If the prank had not been completed I do think that Carrie would have started to make friends and school wouldn't have been so hard afterwards, but I don't think she would have lead the stereotypical "prom queen" lifestyle. 

7.  What did you think of Billy and Chris's relationship?

They are a bunch of crazy psycho kids!!! Billy had some issues and saw Chris as nothing more then a piece of ass. Chris probably had some daddy issues that she was working out by getting into relationships with guys she could manipulate and then bit off more then she could chew with Billy. In a way though, by the end of the book I just figured they deserved each other.

Bonus question: Did you catch the mistake Stephen King made with regards to Carrie's dad?

YES! I caught it and then called and woke Kate up to see if I was right! The only reason I caught it was because even though they kept saying that Carrie's mom did not have powers, I kept wondering if maybe she was the reason that he had died. Or if maybe she was tapping into the Carrie baby's powers that were in her womb to have an "accident" occur. So when they all of a sudden made an off the cuff comment about Ralph being around when Carrie was alive I was like "Say What!?!" 

Abducted by Sundays in Bed With...9.23.12

There are so many amazing books that I SHOULD have spent my Sunday with. But in the end I totally failed!

I came home from mass and was just exhausted and really needing some time chatting with my friends. And even though I'm not much of a phone person, I spent almost the entire afternoon on the phone!

And then I watched a very interesting episode of True Life on MTV. And then I went to family dinner and now I am home!

I'm feeling very overwhelmed by all the read-a-longs I've been trying to do this fall and host myself. So my plan is that I will not be having a Two Towers Tuesday post this week and instead will just try to add more chapters to the future posts so that I can still finish the Lord of the Rings series before The Hobbit is released in December.

I'm going to put all my energy into finishing Circle of Friends ASAP because my dear friend (and host of the Sundays in Bed With meme) Kate at Midnightbookgirl has been so patient with me trying to read this one.

I will be starting Piece of Cake tonight by Cupcake Brown which I'm listening to the audio version of for my book club which meets on Friday.

I'll be starting...

hopefully by Tuesday.








And then I'll be back next week with a huge chunk of...

read and ready to talk about!!!

Abducted by Two Towers Tuesday: Book 3 ch. 1-3

Welcome to the first Two Towers Tuesday post!

Where the Fellowship of the Ring left off we had the entire Fellowship divided and scattered on a hill top, Boromir is dying, and most importantly Frodo and Sam have gone off on their own. When The Two Towers picks up we get to find out what happened to the rest of the Fellowship.

It all begins when Aragorn finds Boromir after he has been slain by many black arrows. As he lays dying he confesses to Aragorn and tells him that the Orcs took some of the halflings but he was not positive on whether or not Frodo and Sam were with them.

By the time Legolas and Gimli make their way back to Aragorn, Boromir has already past and now they must decide if they should follow the Orcs hoping that all of the hobbits are together, or continuing on to Minas Tirith. Ultimately, Strider is able to use his wicked (and when I say "wicked" I don't actually mean "wicked". I can see how when reviewing a book like this that could be taken wrong. I mean "wicked" like the boys in Good Will Hunting used it when they say "My boy is wicked smart!" Not that Strider was holding back on any wicked or evil notions.) Ranger smarts to determine that Frodo and Sam went off on their own voluntarily and that their own attentions would be better put to use trying to save Merry and Pippin.

What follows is many many many pages of them walking. They walk and they walk and they walk. They have a brief conversation about whether or not to rest. They decide to rest. Then they wake up and they walk and they walk and they walk. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty boring.

But then, drum roll please!!! Ba Ba Ba BAAAA!!! Eomer shows up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ladies, he is a hottie!!! I know that he isn't described in the book. And I know that his scene is just barely mentioned in the book so far. But I remember when I watched the movie and Karl Urban popped up on the screen I was like HELLO!!! Sitting up straight now! Fix the hair! Freshen up the lip gloss (even though I don't actually wear lip gloss I was probably attacking the girls next to me to make them share)!

Anyway, what were we talking about again.......hmmmmm.....

Oh, Right! The Book! The Book! Right...

Okay, so the Riders of Rohan show up and they tell Aragorn that they have just killed a whole bunch of Orcs but that they didn't see any other creatures among them. Because Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are all positive that they have not missed any signs of the hobbits escaping along the trail, they decide to keep going further to see if they managed to break away before the Riders of Rohan had attacked the Orcs.

Along their way, they stop and rest and take turns keeping watch. When Gimli is on watch, a man suddenly approaches the fire but does not speak to him. When Gimli rises it wakes up the others and they all see the man but before they can try to talk to him he is suddenly gone. Gimli is convinced that it is Saruman, but I have my suspicions (as does Aragorn) that it just might be someone else entirely.

Then in chapter three we get to learn what happened to Merry and Pippin. They have indeed been taken captive by a group of...well, it turns out it wasn't your average everyday Orcs. The group is made up of Orcs, Goblins, and Uruk-Hai. From what I understand, the Orcs are traveling from Mordor and are carrying the red mark of the eye on their weapons and shields. The Uruk-Hai are traveling from Isengard under the white mark of Saruman. And the Goblins, well forget them I have no idea who they were traveling under the orders by.

This group of travelers turn out to be awful hosts for Merry and Pippin and treat them pretty horribly! And even though Pippin is made out to be kind of silly and goofy in the movie version, he actually keeps his senses about him through out this chapter. He managed to get his hands unbound but kept the rope wrapped around them like bracelets so that the Orcs wouldn't know he was free. And then he used his wits to talk an Orc Goblin Uruk-Hai, oh who cares! let's just say he got one of the enemy to cut the binds around his and Merry's legs.

And when that chapter ends, their captors have all been slain by the Riders of Rohan (meaning mainly the sexy Eomer) and Merry and Pippin are headed into the Fangorn Forrest without a care in the world...or so they would have you think.

Life Lesson # 7

Be careful as to who you choose to act as your traveling agent.

This book is basically one big life lesson in bad trip planning! I mean, the Fellowship booked their trip to Mordor with Elrond and look where it got them! Two of them are dead, two of them have been taken captive! Another two are off wandering around on their own, and the other three have ended up taking what seems to me to be the worst hiking trip ever! 

This is why when taking a vacation I plan MONTHS if not YEARS in advance! 

If I was in that fellowship I would have called in an upgrade a long time ago! That's all I'm saying. 

Abducted by Carrie Read-a-long Part One

I just got to the end of Part 1 of Carrie and I'm hoping to finish it today. I'm taking a quick break to answer the first round of questions posted at Midnightbookgirl before I continue on though. I'm a little late to be posting this so I am going to try to keep my answers brief. Plus I want to get back to the story.

1. Is this your first Stephen King book?

No, I think when I'm done with Carrie I will have read 3 and a half. I've read The Eyes of the Dragon and Bag of Bones in the past. Also I read Faithful which was co-written by Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan which chronicles the 2004 Red Sox season. Loved it! But since it was co-written and isn't a work of fiction I'm not sure if it would count towards a whole.

2. What do you think of the style Carrie is written in?

I am listening to the audio version but so far I am enjoying it. I haven't had any problems following the book even though it does jump around quite a bit.

3.  Do you think the bullying/attack on Carrie that occurs in the late 1970's in the book could happen today?  

Without a doubt, absolutely! Kids are horrible sometimes and what happens when they get that whole mob mentality going is disgusting. I am fortunate to have never personally experienced or witnessed this level of bullying but I have no doubt it happens. 

4.  What are your thoughts on Carrie's mother?

Love her, she's awesome! No, really, I think she is troubled and misguided and completely psychotic. 

5.  Young Carrie brings the rain of rocks down on her house at the tender age of three, but then there are no major events for years. Why do you think her powers remained fairly quiet until now?  What role does her mother play in Carrie's use of her power?

I'm not sure. I think the powers may have been dormant because on some level Carrie was afraid of the power within her. But that is just a guess because I honestly don't know. I know her mother's treatment of Carrie and the way the kids at school treated her played a huge part in her developing her power, people can only take so much. But I have a feeling that I'm only looking at the issues on the surface and that there is a deeper motivation running throughout the story, but I guess I'm not there yet.

6. Do you believe that telekinesis exists? 

I believe a lot of things exist that I can't understand or wrapped my head around. Telekinesis? Sure, why not!

7. What is your favorite moment so far?

I don't know if it would be my "favorite" moment but I was moved by the part from Sue's book where she says that they were "just kids". She repeats it over and over again because she wants people to remember that even though what happened from beginning (shower scene) to end (prom night) no matter how big and bad they all tried to act, they were just kids. They were stupid and ignorant and had the very limited childish selfish invincible way of seeing the world that comes with being just a kid. It is know justification for what happened, but I do agree it is important to remember. 

8. What do you think of Sue's plan to have Tommy take Carrie to the prom?


I think it is a little much and she should have known she was asking for trouble. She could have just asked Carrie to sit with them and have root beer floats at the diner. Prom is a big deal but Carrie could have just gone with them in a group. She should  have known it was going to cause trouble to take her from the bottom of the food chain and try to give her a spot at the top. 

9. Any predictions (um, only if you haven't read this before or seen the movie! ;)

I have seen the movie and while I don't remember most of it I do remember the ending. 

10.  Just how crazy is Mrs. White?!

A part of me wants to say that she is just misguided but I'm not so sure. I don't think there is anything you could do or say to get this chick to check back into reality. She's is way too far gone. Around the bend and off her rocker! She is full on crazy!

Abducted by Sundays in Bed with...9.16.12

Today I am not spending my Sunday in bed at all!  Most of my friends know that I had some dental work done this week and have been taking some pretty strong (at least on me) medication. This medication helps a lot but it also makes me painfully exhausted! Like, when I take it, if I try to force myself to stay awake it gives me a headache and makes me nauseous and shakey. Today is the first day that I haven't had to take it for the pain so I am determined to spend the entire day as far away from my bed and my couch as physically possible!

With that said, I am still spending my day with literature! I am spending my day with the audio version of...

Here is the picture of Riley all curled up with some Stephen King...

I have made a lot of promises to read certain books lately and I am so behind it is shameful! One way that I am hoping to correct this is by finishing Carrie today! In the audio version there are 6 discs and I am almost done with the third disc. I do have other obligation today but I still think that I should be able to make time for the rest of this one. And I'm liking it a lot more then I thought I would.

I usually don't read horror or Stephen King, but I am liking this one. It isn't Stephen's writing that intimidates me and it is not that I think his stories are going to be too scary. I think it is more that I expect them to be hard to follow because when I see movies based off his books (the few I've seen) I never know what the hell is going on. But so far Carrie is going along smoothly.

So, what are you spending your Sunday with?

Abducted by Fellowship Friday: Book 2 ch. 6- 10

I started writing this post yesterday but I passed out before I could post it! My dentist has me on some pretty strong medication that makes me painfully exhausted. My point is that I apologize for this post going up a day late for those who were eagerly anticipating my last Fellowship Friday post!

Phew! Finished the first one! Feels great doesn't it?

Well, we have a lot to cover today so I should probably just jump right in.

The Fellowship have made it out or Moria (minus Gandolf) and they are helped on their way to Lothlorien by an elf named Haldir and his brothers Rumil and Orophin.

From what I could tell, Lothlorien is the woods or the land or something and the main city is called Galadhrim. And it is looked after or ruled after, however you want to see it, by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.

Let me take this moment to be completely honest with you and say that when I first saw this movie I totally developed a girl crush on Cate Blanchett! I mean, first of all, she is beautiful! But then she also played the character of Lady Galadriel so perfectly that I became obsessed. I used to know every one of her lines and could recite them along with her when I would watch the movie with my mom. She had a girl crush too and was reciting lines right along with me. If any of my friends wonder where my over the top obsession with memorizing films and tv comes from...yes you can blame my mother!

Anyway, Lady Galadriel comforts the Fellowship so that they are able to find peace of mind while they are staying in Galadhrim. That is until she offers Sam and Frodo a chance to look into her oh so special mirror. Sam looked into the mirror first and saw an evil spreading throughout the Shire. And then when Frodo looks, he sees a figure clocked in white that reminds him of Gandolf (I wonder who that could be), then he sees a large ship, a banner with a white tree, and then comes the Eye!

It fills Frodo with so much fear that he tries to give the Ring to Galadriel.

FUN FACT: The fact that Frodo tries to give Galadriel the Ring is actually a big deal that I didn't even understand until reading the book this time around.

Lothlorien actually gets part of its power or esscense or beauty from the Ring that Galadriel bears called Nenya. If Sauron gets back the One Ring he will be able to control Nenya, BUT if Frodo succeeds in destroying the One Ring then Nenya will loose its power and Lothlorien will in turn fade and the "tides of Time will sweep it away."

So when Frodo offers her the Ring, there is a part of Galadriel that wants it for the power it holds and there is another part that sees this to be her chance to save her land. But she turns it down because she knows that it is the right thing to do.

After all of this it becomes apparent to the Fellowship that it is time to get back to the mission at hand. When they are ready to go, they are each given a gift, boats, food, and a clock and hood.

The Fellowship makes for the river Anduin. At one point they are briefly attacked by Orcs but nothing much comes of it and they continue on their way. Then there comes a time when each member of the Fellowship has to decide their path. To head towards Minas Tirith, where Boromir's people are in need of help and it just happens to be closer to Mordor. Or to take the long way around in an effort to continue avoiding the land of men. Frodo goes off by himself in order to way his options.

The rest of the book acts out almost exactly like the movie. Frodo is off by himself, Boromir follows, he tries to convince Frodo that he could use the Ring for good, then he tries to take the Ring by force, Frodo slips on the Ring in order to get away. Then he realizes that he has to leave the Fellowship behind.

...the evil of the Ring is already at work even in the Company, and the Ring must leave them before it does more harm.

 When Boromir returns to the rest of the group and tells him what he did they all scatter in search of Frodo. Sam, of course, finds him first and insists on going with him to the end. And that is where the book ends. With Frodo and Sam going off together and the rest of the Fellowship scattered on a hill top.

Life Lesson #6

Always remember who the real enemy is.

I mentioned earlier that the Fellowship were helped on their way to Lothlorien by an Elf named Haldir and his brothers. Well, at one point he informs them that they must be blindfolded in order to continue on further.

Actually, he says that only Gimli, because he is a Dwarf, must be blindfolded, but in an act of solidarity the rest of the Fellowship is blindfolded as well. Legolas exclaims his frustration by saying that in a time like this when they are all bound together as enemies of the Enemy it is ridiculous that there are still lines drawn amongst them. And Haldir responds by saying...

...Indeed in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown then in the estrangement that divides all those who still oppose him.

In any battle there is nothing that one side likes more then bickering amongst the other side. In religion, in politics, in anything, if we spend all our time drawing lines and casting judgments on each other then we can't come together to tackle the real problems. We are weaker when we're fighting, we are vulnerable when we're on our own. When we spend all our time thinking of each other as the enemy, we miss out on the strength and the comradery when get by leaning on each other. 

Even with the hatred that exists between the elves and the dwarfs, Lady Galadriel welcomes Gimli warmly and speaks kindly of Moria despite the evil that was awakened there.

And the Dwarf, hearing the names given in his own ancient tongue looked up and met her eyes: and it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of the enemy and saw there love and understanding.

Abducted by Dewey's Readathon ~ Oct 2012

Dewey's readathon is right around the corner and I for one am soooooooooo excited!!!

I have to admit though, my initial reaction was one of hesitation and concern. The truth is I have never been that good at the readathons. I'm a particularly slow reader and therefore I never quite get as much accomplished as I intend to.

Also, I have just recently taken on a part time job so I know for sure I will be working on the day of the Readathon and I joined the choir at my church so therefore I cannot stay up reading into the morning hours because I will need to be up ready to sing by 8am.

So, anyway, I was very concerned about what I could actually read in the time that I will have that day.

But then, a couple of days ago, I cam up with a brilliant upon BRILLIANT idea!!!

This time around I am going to dedicate my entire readathon too....

Let me explain!

The Odd Thomas series is a collection of works based on the title character Odd Thomas and created by Dean Koontz.

As of now the collection includes:

5 Novels: Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, Brother Odd, Odd Hours, and Odd Apocalypse.

3 graphic novel prequels: In Odd We Trust, Odd Is On Our Side, and House of Odd.

and 1 collection of 3 novellas called Odd Interlude.

I have read all of the books except for Odd Apocalypse, but I want to get caught up with all of the graphic novels and the novellas before I do so. And what better materials to take into a readathon where I am already worried about my time constraints then graphic novels and novellas!!!?!!!

It will be perfect! The graphic novels will be great for when I'm at work and making the butt load of calls that I have to make everyday (working at a loan office is ever so exciting, let me tell you).

And the novellas will be perfect for when the store is dead in the afternoons and then for when I go home that night.

And if I get all this done during the readathon, then I will only have Odd Apocalypse left to read and then I will be entirely caught up and eagerly anticipating the last two novels that will be out in the years to come!

I know this post might have been really boring to some of you! But I don't care, because I am truly truly excited!!!!!!!

So, that is my plan for Dewey's October Readthon, what's yours?

Abducted by Fellowship Fridays: Book 2 Ch. 3-5

I am nearing the finish line guys!!! This is a very exciting time for me!!! 

This week I read through the 5th (or 17th) chapter, and in those 4 chapters the Fellowship of the Ring has been formed and it has also already begun to fall apart. Which is very unfortunate because they put so much effort into forming that traveling entourage!

One of the things that was the most disappointing was that the whole scene in the movie where each of the members of the fellowship step forward and offer Frodo their services, didn't actually happen in the book. Only the hobbits and Gandolf volunteer to go on the journey and then we later find out that the other various members are appointed because of their own personal motivations and/or skills.

Ultimately the Fellowship is made up of 4 hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin), 1 ranger (Aragorn), 1 man (Boromir), 1 dwarf (Gimili), 1 elf (Legolas), and 1 wizard (Gandolf).

Once the Fellowship is formed Aragorn goes to get his sword put back together and then Bilbo gives Frodo his sword and mail shirt, and then he goes off to recite what I think will end up being my favorite poem in the entire series! I wont quote the whole thing for you, but here are my favorite lines...

I sit beside the fire and think / of how the world will be / when winter comes without a spring / that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things / that I have never seen: / in every wood in every spring / there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think / of people long ago, / and people who will see a world / that I shall never know.

I love it because, so many of the poems in these books are weighed down with the language and the mythical stories that they are trying to tell. This poem is by far simpler and is merely about a guy realizing that time is passing him by. Now that Bilbo has passed the Ring onto Frodo, he is having to face the fact that it is up to Frodo to carry out the adventures that Bilbo wont be able to have himself. And without the Ring Bilbo's age may finally catch up to him as well. 

It was a very poignant moment for me and so I wanted to mention it.  But of course Biblo shouldn't have felt jealous about not getting to go on the journey because within days of setting out the Fellowship are attacked by falling rocks, snow, and so many gatherings of birds that even Hitchcock would be impressed. 

They all decide that there is nothing left for them to do and so they will have to enter the Mines of Moria.

Now, you may be asking; "what is up with this crazy Moria place?"

Well, don't worry. Some of the back story on Moria was shared during the Council of Elrond chapter, and I took notes!

Many many years ago the ancient dwarves dug the mines in Moria. They created the cities of Khazad-dum and found a great amount of treasures. The only problem being that they mined too deep and an evil was released. The dwarves were driven from the mountains and forced to leave a great deal of the treasure behind. And remember how out of the rings that Sauron gave to the dwarves, some were lost forever. Well, there was a legend that said that the lost ring of the dwarf Thror could be found in the mines of Moria.

Then, 30 years ago, a dwarf named Balin was convinced that enough time had passed that the dwarves could return now in a greater number. So he took a group of dwarves with him and they went back to Moria and to Khazad-dum. At first, they would send word back telling of all the treasure they were finding and how successful everything was turning out to be. Well, now it has been decades since they have heard anything at all and the dwarves are concerned that something has gone horribly wrong.

As eager as Gimili is to stop by Moria to check on his peeps, he is also very concerned and worried as to what they will end up finding.

And what they find turns out not to be good news.

Balin turns out to be dead for sure. The treasures that were left behind have all been plundered and the evil has continued to rise and increase.

There are orcs like you wouldn't believe and cave trolls! Even Frodo has to step up and get his fight on. Which he does with a rousing cry of "THE SHIRE!!!" right before he stabs a troll in the foot! I for one loved this moment because in the movie version Frodo can usually be found on the sidelines falling down. But in the book he really does hold his own.

The Fellowship tries to make a run for it, but fire follows in the form of a balrog!

They try to cross a bridge and Gandolf turns around to face the Balrog with a challenge...

"You cannot pass. I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! YOU CANNOT PASS!!!" 

This moment in FSM really made me laugh the first time I saw it!

This is no "Simon Says" kids game folks. How many times does he have to say it? Gandolf was being totally serious about not letting this joker pass!

The bridge breaks, the Balrog falls, and for a split second you actually think they are all going to get out of this mess alive, but then the Balrog sends up his whip to grab hold of Gandolf's knees and pulls him from the cliff and down with him.

I know that this is supposed to be sad and all, but I'm actually really excited! Now that Gandolf is dead and the rest of the Fellowship has made it out of the mountains, that means we are mere pages away from being in Lothlorien! That is my favorite part!!!

And just a reminder: next Friday will be the last post for my series of Fellowship Fridays. But the following Tuesday (September 18th) will be the kick off for Two Towers Tuesdays!

Life Lesson #5

Making an oath, especially in the spirit of friendship, is one of the most important things you will ever do. 

After the forming of the Fellowship, Elrond gives one of my favorite monologues...

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid...The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way...The further you go, the less easy will it be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road." 

Now, many of my friends know that at this point in my life I absolutely despise road-trips!  Any trip that takes over 8 maybe 12 hours and I am absolutely taking a plane! No question about it!

When I was reading this passage in the book, my first reaction was; "Hell, yeah!" I would totally be down to travelling more if I knew that if when times got hard I could hop on a plane or ditch the campsite by the side of the road for a comfy hotel room.

But, when you keep reading, Elrond and Gimili actually get into it a little bit because Gimili doesn't agree with Elronds advice.

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens," said Gimili.

 "Maybe,' said Elrond. 'but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall."

"Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart," said Gimili.

And the truth is, Gimili has a point. Sometimes the act of making a declaration or taking an oath, is the one thing that will hold us together. Sometimes when we keep our declarations to ourselves, we do this because we know deep down we want to hold on to the option to back out later. But when an oath is on the line we will end up pushing ourselves past the point we were convinced would break us. And ultimately we learn that we have more strength in us, and in our friendships, then we could have ever imagined.