"There and Back Again"

"There and Back Again"

Scene: A typical suburban neighborhood park, complete with swing set, jungle gym, etc. A boy plays in the sandbox with a set of toys based on character from J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit. As the child plays, a man comes along, sees the child and the toys, frowns, and confronts the child:

MAN (To himself): Hmmm… Those toys look awfully familiar… (To the boy) Son, where did you get those toys?

BOY: These? My father gave them to me. The man at the toy store they weren’t appropriate for a kid my age, but my dad is a big shot literary critic. He can get me anything, for the right price.

MAN: I thought those figurines looked familiar! The same man at the toy store promised those to me! They are valuable collectors items, and he said that they would be safest in the hands of a responsible adult.

BOY: But these are toys! They aren’t meant for adults.

MAN: They are certainly more than mere toys. The fine craftsmanship and exquisite detail makes them far more valuable than you could understand.

BOY: But, they are just silly action figures. And adults don’t even play with toys.

MAN: There are more ways to take pleasure in a toy than just by playing with it.

BOY: What enjoyment could an adult possibly get from them?

MAN: To a child, these toys are just a source of amusement, with no real lasting impact. For an adult, however, especially a connoisseur like myself, these toys are more than just toys. They are works of art, and just looking at them is an experience in itself.

BOY: (Holding up an action figure of Beorn, the shape-shifting half-man-half-bear) So you like to play with toys like this one too?

MAN: (Chuckles) It’s not exactly playing. It’s more like experiencing. Every time I look at a fine toy (he motions for the Beorn action figure, which the child hands over), I gain a new perspective, an even deeper appreciation for the art. Take this one, for example. Do you see how smoothly he can change from gentle man (he presses a button, and the toy transforms) to troll-eating bear? And from the seamless craftsmanship, it’s perfectly disguised. It’s not choppy or awkward; it flows beautifully from one to the other, revealing what’s below the surface.

BOY: (Doubtfully) I guess…

MAN: (Continues enthusiastically) The beauty is in the details. See how the beard remains the same whether he’s a man or a bear? Even though, he’s a terrifying monster, he still has his human soul. His flesh matches both the tone of a man and a bear, his teeth, even in human form, are sharp as knives. Nothing superfluous, nothing out of place. All of the details included in his design build on each other, and reveal a deeper truth about him as a character.

BOY: Mister, you’re a little crazy about toys…

MAN: That I may be, but that man at the toy store was right. These are definitely collector’s items.

BOY: But mister… toys are meant for children. They are meant to go in the bathtub, out into the sandbox, and sometimes get lost under the couch. They let the imagination run wild, and make the world seem a little more innocent for awhile. No matter what’s going on, I can always find happiness in my toys. They need to be free, not trapped behind some display case. But, I thinl I understand your side too. Here. (He hands the man the figure of Beorn)

MAN: Thank you, you’re too kind. But you know, you’re right too, son. Maybe I should enjoy them more for what they are. (He continues his walk along the path in the park)