We watched Into the Wild this evening. The story of an idealistic young man’s adventure to Alaska. He didn’t return alive.
I encountered the book, Into the Wild, some years ago while staying in Vancouver, Canada. If I remember correctly I stayed up half the night reading it! When I was 19 I hitch-hiked up the Alaska Highway eager for adventure and the wilderness. Thankfully I survived the whole experience and eventually returned via the inland passage to Vancouver, and then onwards to New York and England.
Thank goodness for the enormous tolerance of my parents. Bless ’em.
Happiness is only real when shared.
As reported in the film the above was found among the writings of Christopher McCandless in the old school bus he died in, alone.
What an amazing story. I remember reading it in an issue of ‘Outside Magazine’ many years ago. I found the movie disturbingly beautiful, especially the final scene with the actual photo of Chris (aka Alaxander Supertramp) in front of his bus. Life, death, choice, it is very easy for us to judge these things. I only wonder if he was happy with his choices at the end.
Here’s another excerpt from the writings that Chris McCandless left in the bus when he died:
Deliberate Living: Conscious attention to the basics of life, and a constant attention to your immediate environment and its concerns, example — A job, a task, a book; anything requiring efficient concentration (Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you).
Sadly, this young man would have lived had he walked away from the bus and walked about a mile downstream. There was a rope bridge over which he could have crossed the high river and walked out to civilization. It’s ironic that he walked into the wild to eschew comfort and safety. In the end, his attachment to the bus and his fear of leaving it doomed him.
Rev. Mugo,
thank you for reminding me of that line about happiness. for awhile i had
it in my “blog profile” but could not remember where it came from. i must
have written it down while watching the movie.
i hope you are well and enjoying the first weeks of November. my autumn walks are becoming more and more colorful.
This film certainly did stir up a lot of thoughts. I’d would like to say that what ever ones views might be regarding Chris and his actions a response of compassion is well in order.