Breaking Frodo Out of the Box

Don’t all women want a Frodo doll for Christmas?

Frodo was all I wanted for Christmas 2001, the year Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring released in theaters. My poor husband (then boyfriend) went to a “nerd” store to purchase this special gift for me. He had to wait in line and plunk down $50+ dollars. Now, that is love! He always seemed ashamed of purchasing this doll for me. After all, folks in a “nerd” store happen to be our people, so that should not have been embarrassing. Maybe he feared other people might think he wanted the doll for himself, which would have been a bit weird considering that my husband kind of looks like Elijah Wood. Okay, that is a bit creepy. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to have my very own Frodo doll.

After that Christmas, Frodo moved to my bookshelf and lived quietly in his box for many years. Believing he’d be worth big money one day, I insisted that Frodo remain encased in dust and stashed away. As a child who was denied the opportunity to own Star Wars figures in the late seventies and early eighties, I always felt that I missed the boat on highly-valuable toys. Surely this Frodo would be worth big money one day! Frodo made three moves from an apartment to our first house and now to our final house. He’s been an on-going joke between my husband and me. Every once in a while, my husband would look up Frodo’s value and laugh about how he’s worth about half his original price, even in the most pristine condition.

This past year, I moved Frodo to my desk at work. Surely, others would appreciate Frodo’s awesomeness. That didn’t happen. For months on end, Frodo stared at me from behind his dusty plastic tomb with his arms and legs tied down.

It might sound weird, but I kept thinking that Frodo deserved his grand adventure. Living in a box limited the wonders of Frodo in the world. I went online and looked up Frodo’s value. Some sellers on Amazon had him listed for something close to his purchase price. Ebay told a more dismal story where he had sold for about half his original value. The Amazon searches opened all sorts of wormholes into the world of doll collecting. After peering into that abyss, I decided that really wasn’t the right world for me. My mind was made up, Frodo would break free from his cardboard and plastic tomb and enter the real world.

The next day, I took Frodo home and unveiled him in a cheesy video. My husband provided the amazing music.

After escaping the box, he ran into some trouble.

Mr. Grey will see you now. Frodo’s manufacturer had him all tied up!

After he escaped bondage, Frodo found himself in the clutches of a cat who wanted to eat his hairy hobbit feet.

He took off on an adventure to Asheville, North Carolina.

Once he safely arrived in Asheville, NC, Frodo downed a mojito and tried to forget the cat attack.

The next day he imbibed a fine selection of beer at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River, NC.

He crossed dangerous terrain at the Biltmore Estate.

He almost fell into the chasm.

After reaching the Biltmore, he took a break and reflected on his journey.

Leaving the dusty box behind him, Frodo looks forward to even more adventures that await just beyond the horizon.

Looking back, Frodo’s escape from the box resembles my own escape from the work world. I might not be gaining value in my bank account, but I’m gaining a wealth of experiences outside the box.