By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:29:54 +0000

Thanks for your insightful comments on Chris McCandless. I too, like you and so many others, am unable to get this story out of my head. I just can’t help thinking about the circumstances and nature of Chris and his great odyssey. After thoughtful and exhuastive anaysis on my part, I have come to some observations which I think explain my obsessiveness with all of this. First of all, after high school or college, a young person has in their hands the only true freedom they will ever know. I say this because most of our lives involve obligations which tie us to a home, mortgage, child raising, marriage and on and on. To sow ones oats at this stage in life is a wise thing to do. On my parents advice at age 18, I left my familiar surroundings, packed my few belongings in my car and headed west. Eventually, I arrived in the high country of Colorado with no place to live, no job, little money and no particular prospects. With some ambition, determination and tenacity, I eventually found my way and had the most free 2 years of my life. When I returned to a more conventional life, I was more focused than ever and have enjoyed decades of fullfillment since. Chris McCandless sowed his oats in the extreme. Not simply content with being free of a regimented life and overbearing parents, he divorced his entire past and started anew. He was a high achiever in all aspects of his life and his over confidence led him to take chances that most of would never consider. He obviously enjoyed a challenge and surviving on the bare bones and scraps of societies lowest tier was the ultimate challenge for him, especially since he came from a life which offered him every chance one could ask for. His great Alaskan Odyssey did seem to be a fitting conclusion to more than 2 years of wandering and it makes sense that he would feel confident of his success in surviving off the land in the Alaskan wilds. Had he found a way to cross the swollen Teklanika, he would have walked out anonymously and no one would be writing about him nearly 16 years after his death. Jon Krakauer is an excellent writer and his story of Chris is indeed compelling. I beleive his authorial skill is greatly responsible for the fascination that so many of us have with Chris McCandless. The lesson here is really quite simple: enjoy the free years of your life while you can but also seek advice and don’t take chances that you may regret in the future. No matter what differences you may have with your family, don’t abandon them and cause them undue grief. Do see each day with a different horizon and if you have the urge to really do something that you have a passion for, there is no better time than the present. Chris is a figure of American folklore which can serve to inspire or warn of dire consequences. Regardless, I can’t help thinking how this interesting young man may have contributed to society had he lived. His death was truly a waste.

Comments on: The Reccuring Ghost of Alex Supertramp

By: Keith