Roughing it.

“I have had a good life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” -- Christopher McCandless.


I used to hate reading.

I was terrible in English class in Highschool, and still am today. About 7 months ago, I caught the reading bug. I've read more books in the last year than I have in my entire 33 years of existence. My tastes focus on advendure, fiction or non-fiction.

Sidebar: Why can't 'they' just call non-fiction 'stuff that really happened'? Is it a quesiton of efficiency? Sheesh.

Anyway...I saw the movie trailer for Into the Wild, the story of Christopher McCandless who jumped off the grid and followed his dream of roughing it in the Alaskan Wild. I don't normally watch the movie before a book, because you are always disappointed...right? Well, the movie was AWESOME. I know that it is an adaptation of the book and that the book is much, much more granular; however, watching it in HD took my breath away.

Sidebar #2: I read I am Legend by Richard Matheson, you know, the Will Smith blockbuster that come out late last year? I read the book first, months ahead of the movie release. Watched the movie and was (#&*%)# mad. The only thing the two have in common are the protaginist's name and the title of the movie/book. The plot was different, the dog was different, the creatures were different, the end was different. It was awesome, though, in its own right.

Ahem... read Into the Wild, then watch the movie. If you're a man and this book/movie doesn't stir your soul...you need a toe tag and a dirt nap.

Update on 5/27/2008 >> I finished this book last week and it was probably the second best non-fiction work I've ever read (the first being Endurance, the story of Earnest Shackleton's attempt at Antartica.)

The moral of the story (to me) is that passion and arrogance make for a deadly couple. I don't fault him at all for following his heart and pursuing happiness. Afterall, that is one of the three hallmarks of the United States. I see a lot of myself in Chris McCandless. Not that I'm about to go to Alaska and live in Faribanks 142, but that the idea of doing what he did is simply amazing. I believe that everyman longs to be tested to see what he is truly worth. I don't believe I've had my test yet. I hope I pass.

It was probably fitting that I finished this book just before I went camping for the weekend with my family, SIL, her husband and 4 kids. Let me tell you, it was QUITE the juxtaposition; us with our FOUR vechiles full of all things 'necessary' to live in the 'wild' for 3 nights and 4 days. While I had a GREAT time camping, someday, I'd like to rough it...if just for a weekend....to see what I'm made of.