If you could live the life of a book character, what would it be?

This question came streaming through Twitter the other day:^[1]

If you could live the life of a book character, what would it be?

When I read this, I had a number of individuals immediately come to mind: wise Gandalf, valiant Aragorn and High King Peter Pevensie. As soon as I thought of them, they did not fit too well with my own personality and I rejected them almost immediately. These personalities were all highly visible, public leaders and fighters. While it is exciting to think about living their lives of magic, intrigue and swash-buckling action, they do not fit intrinsically with whom I am.

When I realized I needed to filter this way, two other characters immediately popped into mind, both of which fit better with my own self-perception: Professor Digory Kirke and Dr. Elwin Ransom. Both these characters were reluctant heroes in their respective stories. A scheming Uncle first forced Young Digory into his destiny through some "science" experiments. Two calculating acquaintances kidnapped Dr. Ransom while on holiday, kicking off his interplanetary adventures. Both overcame the obstacles thrown into their path, not through strength of arms, but by right thinking, right morals and dogged perseverance.

So, who would you be?

For more information on these characters, Wikipedia has articles on each: Gandalf, Aragorn, Peter Pevensie, Professor Digory Kirke and Dr. Elwin Ransom.

---

1. Sorry, I do not remember who posted it or I would give credit where it is due.

About me and this blog

Hi. I'm Harley and I'm a lot of things: Worshiper, Lover of God, Husband, Builder, Reader. These are a few of the words I'd use to describe myself. The Builder moniker has various manifestations which are hopefully guided by the previous self-identifications. Among them are developing software, wood working, auto mechanics, home improvement, playing music, writing and photography. Postings on this blog will mainly involve my thoughts on miscellaneous subjects such as religion, politics or anything else that catches my fancy.

I also twitter. And finally, I have a page that contains a list of my other blogs and some more general information about me.

Comments are welcome but I do moderate them. This is simply to keep things wholesome for general family viewing. By default, comments will be accepted. The few things that will cause a comment to be rejected are:

1. It is too long even though it may be well-written and make interesting points. It's supposed to be a comment, not an essay. If you have that much to say, write a blog article and backlink to me.

2. It is nasty, impolite or uses language that is unacceptable.

3. It includes a a link that has a typo or is broken in some other way.

4. It should have been sent as an e-mail since it is clearly addressed to me and does not appear to have been intended for other readers.

5. It is blatantly self-promotional. This does not mean it can't be self-promotional at all, but it should add some value over an above the marketing.