When a storm rages outside, hammering and beating against the windows, many of us curl up and hide away, ignoring the storm. And yet, J.R.R. Tolkien says in “The Fellowship of the Ring”: “The wide world is all about you: You can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.” We must not hide from the world’s storms, but stride out with faith.
Into the Storm
Rain hovers over New England—cold, dark, wet, and extremely muddy. But Hawthorne revels in a good travel book and warm fireside that keep him safe. Millions of wonders enter his imagination, and he ignores the tempest outside.And yet, even with his book, Hawthorne realizes that something darker threatens him: unreality. He wishes to prove to himself that the world is not just in his book, immaterial and shadowy, but real and tangible. His manhood challenges him to step outside and combat the sluggish enjoyment that threatens to leave him inglorious.
Stepping outside, he finds that a dark, depressing gray covers the sky and swallows all light. Only the lamps bring light, which illuminate the many perils ahead. Ice and cold rain affront Hawthorne, and he must face the dreaded “Slough of Despond,” a continually growing mud puddle that has a dangerously unknown bottom.
Yet his gloomy description cannot hide the fact that he views this dangerous escapade as an adventure, an experience, something far better than just viewing the world from inside. After some hesitation, he strides forward into the night.
Defying the Storm
Journeying into town, Hawthorne discovers more travelers, each dealing with the storm differently. One man, a sea captain, walks along contentedly, as if the storm is his best friend, while the wind and rain buffet another gentleman haphazardly blown out of his house by an emergency. Meanwhile, a richly dressed young lady enters a mansion, never noticing or being touched by a single drop of water. Each traveler ignores the storm to a different degree.
Hawthorne also notices a young couple huddled under a small umbrella, bound for a party. Hurrying along, they suddenly slip on a patch of ice and slide into a flooded street. Hawthorne observes the soaked couple as they hurry back home, “with love too warm to be chilled by the cold water.” Their faithfulness shines in the dark.
Continuing on, Hawthorne passes by many houses and rooms emanating light. Here, rich and poor intermingle, each projecting a different picture into the rain outside. Houses and shops glow with seeming enjoyment, but Hawthorne sees these as distractions from the reality of the storm, which cannot be fenced out.
Perceiving all these mortal affairs, Hawthorne contemplates the many responses to life’s tempests. He realizes that ignoring and hiding from the storm (even in the smallest way) harms us in that it prevents us from experiencing life’s lessons. As Eleanor Roosevelt said: “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
When dark weather comes into our lives, like Hawthorne, we must stride out and meet the storm with courage. Fearlessness and faith turn the gloomiest nights into the brightest adventures, and we become stronger humans, grounded in reality and wisdom.
