The excitement of the summer holidays is one feeling we all have in common. With it comes the subconscious pressure to make this summer the best one yet. But nobody ever feels truly satisfied by the first of September, as we reminisce upon everything we could have changed and all the ways other people’s summers seemed so much more exciting than ours. It’s never been so easy for us to drown in the feeling of missing out via bite-sized content. It’s simply always there, waiting for us, controlling our emotions like the evil antagonist taunting the main character in our favourite childhood movies. Do you know which character was never taunted, bullied, or even noticed by the antagonist? The Hobbit.
The archetypal Hobbit character comes in various forms. Often it’s the timid side character, the sweet but ultimately useless friend, the enthusiast character, or that one character who exists but never speaks. But they all have one fundamental characteristic in common: they are completely off the grid and surprisingly, at peace.
See yourself as a Hobbit for a moment and think of the internet as an evil villain. Being offline wouldn’t simply keep you off the villain’s radar The villain would lose power over you entirely.
Celebrities, influencers, scary-macho podcasters and wellness coaches have all told us to stay off the internet while sharing their message via the internet. Without meaning to, these figures become the evil villain’s little minions, keeping us in a loop of inspiration but personal responsibility for the harm of being chronically online. I was a target of this evil villain for a long time, until I asked myself these questions: do I really need more knowledge and wisdom? Is there anything of value left to be known?
The answer—unfortunately—was yes.
It was a long time before I realized that to stop seeking value and entertainment from the external world I had to find and develop it within myself. I had to learn how to be still, quiet and calm with myself, without the anxiety of reaching for my phone, turning on the television, playing music in the background or re-downloading social media apps to occupy my free time. This became an effortless process when I figured out my Hobbit persona.
As exams come to an end, I am no longer filled by hope to have a perfect summer. I do not aspire to be a hero. This summer, I wish to be my calmest, most boring and simple self. I wish to embrace the parts of me that I abandoned when I began to treat myself as a project to be fixed.
This summer, I will spend my days buried in fictional novels that give me neither truth nor knowledge, in colouring books where I colour outside the lines and let the marker bleed through, in sketchbooks with unfinished portraits and failed attempts at watercolour painting, in baking recipes that I burn many times; and in board games that result in fights with my friends and family.
Being a Hobbit is not something that requires much effort from me—not because I am short—but because I understand that my world is so much bigger than my online presence, my outputs, earnings and achievements.
I will be returning to my “hole” at the end of the month, and I hope you will too.