He escaped to a time long ago, when all was simple, and good. A time before he could ever have dreamed such evil existed. A time when elves and oliphants lived only in his dreams. A time not so long ago, back in his beautiful Shire, with his beautiful Rosie Cotton...
By an outsider, Sam's life might be described as mundane, although Sam himself would never have thought that. His father, the old Gaffer, was slowly becoming too old to take care of the heavy lifting and hard work involved in landscaping, so Sam was needed more and more. There was nothing he liked better than working with the dirt, bringing life to a previously barron spot using nothing but a small seed and his own hands. Others rushed past life, never stopping to see what was happening right under their noses. They cared so much about cramming as much fun and excitement into their short lives, that in reality they did not care at all. The Gamgees, they cared.
The Gamgees may not be regarded as the most educated family in the Shire, but they were well known for having great knowledge of the earth, and even greater knowledge of the heart. Whenever an older member of the community had a problem, it was almost automatic for them to come see the Gaffer. The younger hobbits had begun to do the same with Sam. He did not always know what to tell them, but he tried his hardest to help. Sometimes just knowing that he had an open ear was better therapy than he or she could ever have dreamed.
Sam was walking home one day after visiting his cousin's family, happy to be going to help his father plan a new garden in Mr. Baggin's east lot, when a hobbit-lass named Rosie approached Sam. He had seen her around the Shire before, and always thought her very beautiful, but never had gathered the courage to speak to her before. She had golden curls and a sunny disposition to match. It was rare that Rosie could be seen without a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, and she was never without a joke. When she was younger, the other lasses would sometimes call her a tomboy because of her love of the outdoors and the fact that she preferred to run races and play catch with the hobbit-lads than sit sewing and gossiping with them, but as they aged and matured, Rosie became loved by all in the Shire.
"Sam," she said, "I know we don't know each other very well, but I have a bit of a problem, and I can't think of anyone in the Shire better suited to help me, if you would be willing."
(1) quoted from The Return of the King