Need 'spotlight' help

I have a MacBook Pro that is running Snow Leopard. The 'spotlight' light feature in
the upper right hand or the desktop suddenly got a flashing black dot in the magnifying
icon. When I select the icon to search for something, the box where one would normally type something has the word 'indexing' in it and a message that 'spotlight' will be available when my MacBook is indexed. But it never indexes.

I can't search for anything.

Please help.

Are you running Bootcamp?
Do you have external drives attached to the Mac?
Did you move any files or folders and if so which ones?

I don't know what Bootcamp is? I don't have any external drives
attached. I didn't move any files or folders. I don't even know how.
I just started my computer and this dot was in the middle of the
spotlight icon.

Sure do appreciate your help.

How long has it run trying to index the drive?