JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
612.229.3348

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January 2002

“Even the smallest person...”

My personal highlight over Holiday Break was developing a fascination with The Lord of the Rings. Although I’ve neither read the books nor known the storyline, the trilogy is Wendy’s favorite book ever (it was meant to be read as one book), so we saw the movie opening night...and again...and again. We also purchased a nicer four-bound pack of the books, including The Hobbit, which I am currently reading for the 2nd time in 20 years.

I have quickly become immersed in the epic storyline, brought to life by the vivid and seemingly comprehensive imagination of author J.R.R. Tolkien. I mention all of this partly as an endorsement of the film (although be cautioned that it is PG-13 “for epic battle scenes and some scary images”), and partly as a tie-in to JUGHEADS. You see, one of the film’s noble and inspirational themes (e.g., friendship, self-sacrifice, resisting temptation, etc.) can be found in a quote by the Lady of the Wood, Galadriel the elf. She tells the hobbit Frodo, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”

Of course, the obvious context is that Frodo, being about 3’9” tall, is much shorter than our shortest Jugheads. However, hobbits in Middle Earth were also considered among the least important creatures due to their lack of inherent magical powers, social standing and longevity. The theme of honoring and holding in high esteem a “small” person is an echo of one of the Bible verses that called me to youth work: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” And indeed, given the nurture, love and opportunity, even the smallest Jughead, like the fictitious Frodo, can be a mighty agent of change on this earth.