For the most part reading Tolkien's works was more of a self-discovery for me. I guess that I was made aware that yes, I actually am very interested in something through reading, this is probably why it was so captivating to me, my pre-existing interests found a friend. Languages definitely fall in that category, I've always had an interest in languages--be they native or foreign to me--but Tolkien was the first author in whose works languages *lived* and felt real, structured and deep. I've also always been interested in nature, and plants especially, so the connection to nature that seemed to permeate Tolkien's works made me feel like I'm in a place where I want to be, where a tree is not "just a tree" but something worth a mention. Etc. I think the books mostly opened up my eyes to what it is that I am, helped me sort things out, and this made me feel welcome. Every time I re-read them I go through this process of self-questioning and realizations.
But some things I've definitely become interested in solely thanks to Tolkien. The one that comes to mind immediately is archery, and this is somewhat serendipitous that I should take an interest in that. When I went to college I joined the archery club we had and this is where I met my husband who is (cheesy, but true) my soulmate, no other person ever came close. Although he joined the club because he likes to shoot things and is quite talented at it, not for any other reason
