NOT an exception

Here you can discuss anything related to Christopher McCandless.
coolgalyo
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:50 pm

NOT an exception

Postby coolgalyo » Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:38 pm

So, where to begin?
I barely feel obligated to mention that I too have a fascination with CM. This is quit obvious as I have just become a member of this forum.
I have searched the internet clean of tidbits regarding information about CM. I have watched the movie and the documentary but have yet to read the book, but I will do so as soon as I have the money to purchase it.
Now, to my point. Through my search I have discovered something that gives me a sense of comfort.
After watching the movie I thought MC was an exception. Not in his ways of thinking, but in his ways of acting. The way he hitchhiked and traveled for two years without returning home.
I now know that this is not true.
I have through my search discovered countless stories of people who live on the road, greeting each new day welcome without ties to society. This gave me a sense of comfort. I have always wanted to travel. ALWAYS. But I somehow felt that it was a little out of my league because I thought only Mccandless had achieved this feat (also credits to the fact that I am, unfortunately, in the perspective of hitchiking, blue eyed, blonde female).
At first he was my great inspiration.
BUT then, through the internet I discovered that he wasn't the only one. Many, MANY people live like this on a daily basis. Many people have seculeded themselves from society in search of meaning-being it of the world or themselves.
CM only became a beacon for young adventureres because he didn't make it out alive. If he had, we would probably not have known about his story. CM has become a "holy" figure for adventurers and society critics. He has become a symbol for adventurers as the holy cross is for the Christians.
So, I have begun to wonder? WAS he indeed that extraordinary, or was he doing the same thing other people had/were doing, but they survived their ordeal and didn't make front page news?
His thoughts were not entirely his own making, some was borrowed from Thoreau. Hitchhiking wasn't unique, and leaving home in a fit of discontent certainly wasn't.
Was it because he was handsome and intelligiantly gifted that people tend to look to him as a holy-figure? The romanticisme of it?
What if he had been a 300 pound, pimpled, nerdy guy (not that there is anything wrong with that!) ? Would the story still have intrigued as many people as strongly as it did?
I have read almost every post on this forum, and a lot of people say that their admiration of MC was kindled by watching the movie "Into the Wild (yes, I admit that was where I learned the CM story first too). It is unvitable to have watched the movie and not imagine CM's journey as one big romatic adventure with a tragic ending (I read a quote somewhere that reminds me greatly of this scenario. It goes something like this " There is nothing as romantic as the death of a beautiful maiden". )
But what if we looked at his journey for what it was. There would be no background music in CM's real journey, there would be bouts of frustration, probably some shitty people too and hours of waiting for a ride in less flattering environments. Would we still admire him if these beautfiul elements were removed from the story? I have no doubt that there were beautiful moments too, and even the harshest moments could be splendid if it lead to a mental revelation, but the whole journey couldn't possibly have been "rainbows and butterflies".

I still admire CM, very much indeed, but I also admire the countless others who have embarked on similar journeys, those who choose to document their journeys online, and those unknown person who prefer to keep the journey to themselves (because undoubtly, there are those people).
Many people say that they would never be able to do what Chris did, ostracize themselves from society, but Chris did not entirely do that. He still managed small jobs, bought supplies and stayed in a bus in the wild. He did donate most of his savings (an admirable deed), but for us unlucky souls who aren't as fortunate to have any money at all to donate, this is not a hearfelt task we can do.
I think the movie has a lot to do with the romantiscme of CM. He did not burn his identity cards and he still had money on him when he went into the wild, as the opposite was falsly depicted in the movie.
In my personal opinion, I do not think that CM wanted to return to making a living of hitchiking his entire life. When he tried to leave the bus, I believe, that he wanted to seek out company and maybe settle down. People say that they could never live like CM, but I think most could, because I do not think that CM's intention of living life was to keep hitchiking his entire life. When he tried to leave I believe that his cup of adventures was almost full.
THIS is NOT a critiscme of CM, only a train of thoughts that have recently occured in my mind, that needed to be brought to someones attention. I admire CM dearly, and in no way do I want to be mean or disrespectful.
My admirations go out to CM, but also to all the nameless adventureres.
Please, give me some response on these thoughts, as no one else is willing to discuss them with me.

The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist. For man it is to know that and to wonder at it- Jacques Yves Cousteau

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