What would you have done? 03-05-21 UPDATE.

[Laelth]

Just imagine ... you’re a highly-educated, pampered, aristocratic hobbit living in a manor in the Shire, and you discover that your eccentric uncle, who up and disappeared one day, also left you all of his property and dropped on the floor, on his way out, ... a ring. It’s a simple ring with no markings, but it exudes power and magic. It’s just sitting there on your floor. Naturally, you pick it up.

Then, along comes a wizard ... an ancient, mysterious being and a “friend” of yours (if wizards have friends), and this dude tells you that what you’re holding is actually THE ONE RING, forged by Sauron in the depths of Mount Doom ... the one ring that was designed to bind the other rings to itself and control all the free races of Middle Earth. You hold in your hand the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.

What’s worse, this obnoxious wizard tells you that Sauron knows that the ring is in the Shire and that it’s in the custody of a Baggins! He’s coming for it now! You and all you love are in positive, immanent danger because of this ring.

What would you do?

Well, naturally, you would want to give it away. You’re not interested in ultimate power. You’re far more interested in good food and pipe weed. You might say to the wizard, “Take it. You must take it.” You would hold out your hand. You would reach for the wizard with all your might. When the wizard protested, “No! I can not take it!,” you might reach out even further toward him, stretching toward him and desperately pleading ... “You MUST take this ring!”

And then ... BLAM. You might hit the floor and wake up from your dream in significant pain. Your daughter might have been watching “Fellowship of the Ring,” and you might have been sleeping, sitting upright, again, at the end of your bed. You WERE watching the movie, you might swear. You just dozed off.

In addition, you might have just dislocated your shoulder pretty badly. You may also have cracked a rib. Today, 2 days after the incident, I still have very limited use of my right arm and a highly limited range of motion, but I can type. The shoulder is going to heal. The rib, on the other hand, is a real bear. It sucks when it hurts to breathe. Sleeping on it is nearly impossible. Getting dressed is a nightmare. Driving is completely out of the question.

I am trying to stay ahead of the pain with over-the-counter meds, and I remain functional, but the rib is going to take a while to heal.




Damn wizard! Why wouldn’t he just take the stupid ring?



-Laelth

[underpants]

1. So you missed the part with the talking trees?

I remember seeing that in the movie and flashing back to the exact moment I put down the book.

My brother is a serious Tolkien freak.

[Wicked Blue]

2. Ouch.

Dratted wizards.

[flotsam]

3. Well in my crowd

bunches of people will be coming to visit. To help and wish you well-Hell no, they want to tell their best jokes and watch you writhe in agony...

[Laelth]

4. Sadly, I suspect that some in my own crowd are secretly thrilled.

Sadists happen. I figured that I would laugh right along with them.



-Laelth

[bobnicewander]

5. You can't drive,

your daughter can't drive . Is there help we don't know about? Is your GoFundMe still up?

[Laelth]

8. It's still up, yes.

There’s very little help available, but we do have some friends in the park that we could call upon if we were desperate. For the moment, we’re OK, but it’s very kind of you to ask.



-Laelth

[tblue37]

7. If you have cracked ribs, you mustn't laugh, and if your friends are funny, forbid

them to visit until you heal, so they can't make you laugh and thus cause agony!

I have had cracked ribs before. Laughing is an absolute no-no.

[Laelth]

9. Yep. Learned that one already.

Something funny can become SERIOUSLY UN-FUNNY very quickly, I have discovered.

Coughing really sux as well. I think I would rather risk pneumonia.

-Laelth

[intrepidity]

6. I want to hear more about the shoulder

(since I did the same last April).

How did it get reset, and how long was it out? Did it hurt like hell? Is the risk of recurrance high? What sort of exercises are you supposed to do, if any?

Sorry this happened to you, but at least you didn't have to decide the fate of all Middleearth!

(Nicely written story, too)

[Laelth]

10. That shoulder was prone to dislocation when I was younger.

I probably dislocated it 5 or 6 times between the ages of 6 and 18. It always seemed to “pop” back into place after a while. I am not sure how.

I can’t recall having dislocated it as an adult ... until now. I suppose I learned to be more careful with it, but I reset it this time about 24 hours after the dislocation. I inadvertently, quickly, unthinkingly reached up high for something with the injured arm. The nagging pain from the broken rib probably distracted me, and then ... SNAP! It was loud, and extremely painful, but I think it reset.



-Laelth

[intrepidity]

11. 24hrs OMG I can't even imagine!

Mine was only about 3-4 hrs and I was going out of mind. This was just at the start of pandemic and I refused to go to ER because of that, and paramedics who came said they couldn't do anything to help (WTF??). A very bad day, to say the least.

Hope the ribs heal quickly

[Laelth]

12. Honest to goodness, the rib hurt so bad ...

... the shoulder felt like a minor inconvenience.



Thanks for the healing vibes.

-Laelth

[soldierant]

13. So I am not the only one who inhabits LOTR when in delirium.

Mine was over 50 years ago, and I was Eowyn. Specifically, Eowyn in Gondor.

[Laelth]

14. Awesome!

I am not tough enough to slay the Lord of the Nazgul, but that’s mighty impressive.

I was just trying to get rid of a nasty ring ... badly.



-Laelth

[soldierant]

15. LOL! Yes it was awesome.

I was in the USMC at the time (though we weren't allowed in combat then - not even in combat zones unless we were medical), so it seemed like the thing to do, I guess. And that blue cloak with the stars was awesome too (I spent a few days in that state.)

The thing you may be forgetting about the ring was that it corrupted anyone who carried it, and the more power the person had to begin with, the faster that happened, and the more harm it could do. So it was important that it be carried by someone with very little power. That's why Gandalf wouldn't take it. Be glad he didn't. You think the Shire was already bad in Book 6? You ain't seen nothin' yet.

[Laelth]

16. Wow! You fought hard for your right to serve.

Eowyn is your perfect avatar.



-Laelth

[soldierant]

17. That's a lovely thing to say.

If I ever decide to go to star member, I'll consider it for sure.

[Laelth]

18. I fear the name is already taken. n/t

-Laelth

[soldierant]

19. But possibly not the picture I would select ... and numbers exist and can be used.

[Laelth]

20. I don't know.

I will mention that you should have the right to change your DU screenname NOW ... once. This offer expires on March 20, and, if the pattern holds, the opportunity will not arise again until early 2025.

It’s worth considering.



-Laelth

[soldierant]

21. I'd want a different picture Even more than the name.

And one does need to be a star member to use A picture of one's own. But yes, I havetwo weeks (almost) on the name.