Neither There Nor Back Again
The greatest adventure. Declined.
Welcome to the latest entry in The Workaround. You’re in good company with thousands of fellow entrepreneurs and innovators!
I’m Bob, your host. My mission here is to share personal, behind-the-scenes stories of the ups and downs of my career leading tech startups and corporate innovation.
I write to make you think, smile, and discover a shortcut to success or a trap to avoid.
Here we go…
In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.
“Bilbo Baggins?”
The hobbit had just opened his front door and was startled to hear his name called from across the orchard. He was further surprised to see the source of the call: A tall figure with a long, white beard and gray robes. Not many strangers visited The Shire.
The figure approached and introduced himself as Gandolf, the Wandering Wizard.
Gandolf described his need for a burglar to join a group of Dwarves on a grand adventure. The party would spend weeks traversing Middle Earth, encountering unknown challenges and threats. With luck, they would make it to Lonely Mountain, where a horde of gold awaited. They would simply have to slay a dragon to make it their own.
Gandalf explained that, upon signing the contract, Bilbo would be eligible for a fourteenth of the expected treasure. Traveling and funeral expenses were covered, too.
“Now, wait here one minute!” Bilbo replied. “I’ve never burgled a cave, ridden a horse, or carried a sword. I can barely compose a riddle…
“A lot of bad things could happen out there. The last time I left the Shire, the wheel of my cart broke, putting me in a great deal of bother. Besides, I heard another hobbit from West Snozzle broke his leg on that road. Who will watch my belongings? What if I am late for dinner?
“And what will my neighbors think?
“Maybe someday I could join, but the timing isn’t great right now. The pipe-weed harvest is next month—Sourthfarthing Leaf, I might add.
“And there are rumors that I’m in line for the Vice Sheriff position. That comes with an additional plot of land and vegetable pension. I would get to add that title to my resume. It could lead to Mayor one day.
“So, I say No, Thank you, Mr. Gandalf. I cannot join your ‘Grand Adventure.’”
Just as Gandalf felt the urge to wallop Bilbo across the noggin with his staff, a small thrush landed upon his shoulder. It whispered to Gandalf in Throsel-tunge, the language of thrushes, which every good gray wizard understands. It suggested a backup hobbit located in the nearby village of Frogmorton, on the other side of White Downs. With that news, Gandalf conjured smoke—and disappeared. He would never return to the town of Hobbiton.
Bilbo was taken aback for a few moments, then relaxed. He was happy to have the whole matter over and done with. He turned inside, closed his door, and refilled his pipe.
That night at the Pub, a few neighbors asked Bilbo about the strange person seen at his door that day. He told them of the wizard’s outlandish request that he join a party of adventurers. They agreed that he made the right decision. Better to stay safe in the Shire. Besides, it might look bad and hurt his chances of being appointed Vice Sheriff next year.
And so, life returned to normal for Bilbo….
There were harvest festivals and the turning of the seasons, weddings and birthdays, children born, and elders passed. He fashioned a new pipe and re-sod his roof.
At one point, there were rumors in the Pub of goings on in the lands of Men and Elves. A story spread of a slain dragon and a battle among five armies for the spoils. How silly.
His nephew, Frodo, settled into his place over the years. Bilbo noticed that the boy used to be full of life and asked many questions about the wider world beyond the Shire. But Bilbo knew nothing of such places and re-directed Frodo to stay focused on his trade. With little alternative or exposure to hobbits who had ventured outward, Frodo complied.
Frodo’s settling into place helped Bilbo extinguish a deep, nagging feeling. Seeing this youth reminded Bilbo that he never listened to the restlessness he had experienced at the same age. Bother with that!
The years sped by, and time eventually wore on Bilbo. As his toe hair grew thin, he increasingly looked back on his life. He thought of writing a memoir but realized that he didn’t do anything worthy of sharing with others.
But there was that day long ago, when the wizard came calling. It was the most exciting day of his life. And he wondered…what if he had said yes? What if he had joined the adventure of a lifetime?
What if you said yes?
How we might work together…
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BONUS: Cool Content of the Week
A little something I found meaningful. You might agree…
The Hobbit (1977)
I discovered The Hobbit as a child in the form of a made-for-TV animated movie by Rankin & Bass. I loved it so much that my parents gave me a record that included a comic-book version of the story in the album. I spent hours listening and turning pages along with this record.
It was a simpler time—long before when a short children’s book had to be turned into a realistically violent, nine-hour, three-part series. If you have children, gather around this short classic and travel back to a simpler time.
You might even inspire your children to accept the call to adventure one day.