LotR-sparked relationships

[Encaitare]

I just mentioned over at You know you're obsessed with LotR when... how LotR brought my boyfriend and me together, and I thought that LotR-sparked relationships might make a nice thread. We've all of course heard Lalwende and davem's story (and if you haven't, find out all the juicy details here ) and I'm sure others have stories to tell as well. Share them! (I searched to see if there was already a thread like this, and I couldn't find one. If there is one already... Esty knows what to do.)

So here's my story. I was at a Sweet 16 party and a friend told me that there was someone I should meet. I was rather wary because I didn't want to be pushed into some kind of awkward situation, and so I said "Yeah, okay," and kind of brushed it off. But the mutual friend kept nagging me, and finally he said, "Just go talk to him! He likes Lord of the Rings." So I gave in and went to talk to the guy, and struck up a conversation about the EE TTT DVD (so many acronyms!), and we hit it off and dated for over a year. We broke up a couple of months ago, but we're still friends.

So, have you had friendships or other relationships begin with LotR? I suppose the 'Downs could be included, but primarily if you've met face to face with other members.

[HerenIstarion]

July 1995

Yours truly is tested in French as the part of his admittance examination to Tbilisi State University

It so happens he's good (as good as he'll never again be, as he forsook his French long since), and is a candidate for a 10, that is highest, mark. It also so happens that 9 and 10 are given only after the final interview with the head of examination commission.

Young and shy as he is, trembling one with shaking knees, he is brought before the eyes of the head, which, it so happens, is the red haired lady of kind and the same time severe disposition (that is, kind to intelligence and severe to the opposite), who starts away in fluent and rather pleasant sounding French. Questions are asked, one of which is - who is your favorite writer, o young one seeking admittance? Yours truly, having strong suspicion French writer is expected to be named, holds on to his honesty, and starts replying hesitantly, as to: 'you probably haven't heard of him, and he is not, strictly speaking, French writer...' (former SU it is, LoTR is just translated, mind you). Lo! (or rather, Hark!) - The Name is named... Amazingly, young one seeking admittance, who was looking at his shoes for a while, hears no thunder rolls, and, raising his eyes to look at the lady, reads 'You too?' in the gaze returned...

Other competitors, I believe, were very surprised to hear, for the best part of the next half hour, exclamated exchange not in French but in English, rather passionate, rather flooded with 'And Gandalf? Yes, he's great! I just love it! Me too! And this, and this - 'you should not listen to all you hear!' ? ' Is it Gaffer? I remember, Gaffer tells the miller off so, but in translation it was all crumpled!' 'But I have read it in English! 'Did you, m'am. And..and...If I may be so bold as to ask, would you mind letting me have your book? Just for a day, it would suffice...' I suppose also other members of the commission were no less surprised.

I should add it was a 10 mark for me out of that exam, and I gained admittance all right, and, now that I'm already graduated, we are still friends with a fine red-haired lady

My first LoTR in English I borrowed from her (it was Russian translation for me afore it), it was one volume paperback published by Harper Collins, the one with the walking Gandalf by John Howe on the cover.

[The Tennis Ball Kid]

(wait, you're a she? Congrats! )


Nothing personally for me, though there are some people I'm hoping to meet soon , but on a couple other Tolkien sites I post at there have been several cases where people met via the site and ended up together.


ttbk

[Encaitare]

Oh, this is turning out to be a nice thread (if I may say so myself). Happy stories about LotR beat the news any day. Mr. Istarion's tale is really very encouraging.

Originally Posted by The Tennis Ball Kid

(wait, you're a she? Congrats! )

Yessir, I am indeed a she.

Interesting perceptions we have of people, really. I think I come off as my normal self here (relatively quirky teenage girl), but Eddy thought I was much older than I actually am, and now ttbk has experienced a gender revelation on my part. I suppose that's a subject for another thread, though. Masks of Inscrutability, perchance.

[Lathriel]

Although I haven't made friendships because of LOTR it has made one of my friends and i much closer than we were before. Together we saw ROTK five times in te theatres and make LOTR related jokes all the time.
When I was on exchange in Spain my love for LOTR also brought me really close to my spanish partner's cousin despite our age differences (He is in beginning of Middle School) and the language barrier.

[Lalwendë]

I've got to know a few people through Tolkien, and this obsession has also improved a few realtionships. I remember my brother used to pick on me a lot until I had nicked his books and got into LotR soon after he did. He used to whinge if he had to share bunks with me on holiday and he wouldn't speak to me most of the time because I was just a pain, being a little sister. But then we ended up having something in common. He still wouldn't let me join in when he had his mates round to play D&D though.

At work there are always a few people who you don't get along well with, or who you simply don't speak to much. But when you find out that they also love Tolkien you end up getting along really well - that's happened to me a fair few times.

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

I have more new friendships than I can count thanks to LOTR... and my becoming the Line Party Administrator in Chicago. It's amazing how many wonderful friends I've made, and I'm so thankful for it. We try to meet up once or twice a year to hang out, because we are all spreadout, but a lot of us hail in the Midwest, at least. I haven't found Mr.Right from LOTR, but oh well

[Elentari_Elbereth]

Actually, LotR brought together myself and my sister's best friend.
I didn't know her too well, but since the films came out, she became obsessed but with no Tolkien knowledge. I got her started reading the books, and I would explain all kinds of Tolkien things to her until she nicknamed me "Master"( similar to Smeagol and Frodo.)
Since then, we've become even closer friends, and I definetly say that LotR sparked our relationship


This is a really interesting topic! I look forard to hearing other's stories

p.s. I ate a Second breakfast today!.. 3 meals and it's not dinner yet! I could easily be a hobbit (he he..)

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

So, have you had friendships or other relationships begin with LotR?

When I was a high school senior (1975-76) and was first reading Lord of the Rings, I spotted a beautiful blonde sitting on the stones by the flagpole at lunch one sunny spring day reading Return of the King. I had just finished the story and was myself digging into the Appencices the first time, and so I asked her where Frodo was. Now we had one class together, but we really didn't notice each other because I was of the parking lot crowd and she was of another crowd, but this broke the high school social barriers, and we started 'seeing' each other at lunch at the flagpole. We never really were a 'couple' or 'dated' but we were thought of as one alot just because we were seen together at lunch. We studied and taught ourselved Tengwar, and would pass notes to each other in the one class. We also cut class after lunch one day when they poured fresh cement curbs in the bus loading area and we imprinted 'Friends' in Tengwar!

We lost touch with each other after graduation, but that 6 months was a sort of magical time for me. I did re-connect with her last year through classmates.com (the ones wth all the irritating ads) and found out she i sliving in eastern Idaho on her own piece of Rohan raising horses! I told her I was caught in the confines of the Minas Tirith - Osgoliath coridor.

[Durelin]

First let me apologize for resuscitating this thread.

But LotR brought my boyfriend and I together, in a way. We both joined this *guild* for LotR Online, and fell madly in love with each other. His obsession with the Witch King helped in making me interested in him....

Oh, and that boyfriend would be CaptainofDespair.

[Morsul the Dark]

Let me see, my girlfriend rather ex-girlfriend....pause.... "ok then lets move along"*

were initially brought to friendship through physics then once we got those conversions out of the way LOTR was a key topic.

but more dominately my friendship with my classmate kaylen or arwen as her nickname is and I amadeous(yes i go by many names, andrew,morsul,amadeous, and by some mantarok) anyway spent our entire acting career(we did the school play together "grease"(i was vince fontaine)) we were friends silly me trying to avoid getting close because my relationship with my ex was good...at that point...and i didn't want to sour it by cheating my parents divorced because my dad cheated and as they say the apple doesnt fall far from the tree...I didn't get her phone number so I havent spoken with kaylen all summer which is disappointing she kept me going through my downs absence of the school year


um yeah My friend Arwen and I got along most on the basis of LOTr so thats what that whole rant boiled down to

*willy wonka: JOhny depp

[Gil-Galad]

me and a rather new member, Lily Bombadil, have begun a interesting relationship, we talk on MSN Messenger almost everyday and we act like we are perfect for each other, never know what may happen...

[Elrowen Tinúviel]

I met one of my friends because of LOTR... Actually, he was my older brother's friend who came over for dinner one time. Everybody talked at the dinner table, and afterwards, the friend, my brother and I cleaned the kitchen. Anyways... this guy was talking to my brother about a fantasy roleplaying group he is involved with. My brother was like completely uninterested and told him that I'm the one he should be talking to... I'm the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars freak. The guy was like "You like Lord of the Rings?!" And me... "duh" is an understatement...

So, now I talk to him more than my brother does, and we've talked for hours on end about LOTR. Yeah, he's cool!

-Elrowen