Wilderness

Reading a post by Twinville about an old parked bus got me to thinking about the movie, INTO The Wild and the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. It is the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who went to live in the Alaskan wilderness and died there a few months later. Why did he get rid of everything he owned (22,000 dollars!!) before he set off into the wilderness? Was he comitting suicide? Was he looking for one more adventure even though he was so ill prepared? Did he really think he was invincible? Was he just ignorant? I have thought about it a lot since reading the book a few years back and I have come to the conclusion that it was purely an accident. He was fortunate enough all his life to weather all kinds of adventures and he just didn't realize the magnitude of risk involved at this particular time and place. Chris had a huge desire to be a free spirit. Many young twenty-something men are like this; anti-establishment and seeking adventures at the risk of their own death. Chris's mistakes were

1. going alone and not telling anyone
2. not prepared/lack of knowledge (equipment, clothes, training, maps, food, first aid)

Either of these reasons could be enough to get anyone killed.

The book is definitely worth reading, as are all Krakauer's books. Into Thin Air, for example, is about the Mount Everest climbing fiasco a few years ago.

One of my very favorite bands, The Arcade Fire sings a song about Chris McCandless AKA Alexander Supertramp called Neigborhood #2 (Laika). This video was created using scenes from last year's movie. Enjoy! Lyrics follow video.



Alexander, our older brother,
set out for a great adventure.
He tore our images out of his pictures,'
he scratched our names out of all his letters.
Our mother shoulda just named you Laika!
Come on Alex, you can do it.
Come on Alex, there's nothin' to it.
If you want somethin' don't ask for nothin,
if you want nothin' don't ask for somethin'!
Our mother shoulda just named you Laika!
It's for your own good,
it's for the neighborhood!
For the neighborhood
Our older brother bit by a Vampire!
For a year we caught his tears in a cup.
And now we're gonna make him drink it.
Come on Alex don't die or dry up!
Our mother shoulda just named you Laika!
It's for your own good,
it's for the neighborhood!
When daddy comes home you always start a fight,
so the neighbors can dance in the police disco lights.
The police disco lights.
Now the neighbors can dance! (x4)