Blog #28 Nature Writing Draft

Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures?

Paragraph 1: I think I see a little of both
I mostly disagree with the person who said, “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky”. I think it was admirable of Chris to pursue a new lifestyle and experience how it is to be homeless. I believe it is possible for you to become a better person by going through struggles and a near death experience. However, I don't think his choices and actions are completely positive. He didn't really consider his family and he passed up an oppurtunity to help others more in the long run.

Paragraph 2: Experiencing was admirable because he went out to do what he wanted. Things symbolic to him, was able to let them go.
In my opinion, Chris McCandles did many things that can be seen as admirable. He set out on a journey, persued a dream of his, and became a whole new person. Persuing a dream itself makes people automatically assume, "Oh, he was so strong willed and so motivated for accomplishing this." That is sort of what I thought, that idea actually popped into my head as soon as I read the summary. I look at his determination like college, many people drop out but for the people who stick in there, they earn their degree. Chris is seen as someone who "stuck in there" and lived out his travels and I'm sure he felt accomplished on his way which would sort of symbolize "his degree". He took a different route and chose not to stick to a category of education. I think it was admirable of him to look at the world and say, "I'm not going to go to college, I want to pursue something else." because society strongly hints, "If you go to college and get a good education and good grades, you will become successful." so it makes you think, "Wait, why doesn't he take the sure fire way to becoming successful?" Even so, how I see it, he went through the steps of college but the steps were different and he accomplished something different that may not be recognized by everyone.

Paragraph 3: I could see that near death experience can make someone a better person
In the letter, the writer said, “...surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” and I disagree with that. I think a near death experience, like any experience, has potential of teaching someone how they can become a better person. In Chris's case, I think he did learn how to become a better person and appreciate things more. Even in scary situations when I feel like I'm going to die, I would have realizations or some idea that makes me handle a problem better. I think it's human nature for people to really look back on their life when a near death experience occurs, because then they nit pick what they could have done better or problems they want to solve before their time runs out. It's sort of like they are more motivated to do things because many people then think, "Oh gosh, something can happen to me any day and I don't want to die with this on my back." So yes, I think it is possible to take a near death experience as a kick in the rear to get life back on track and feel better about yourself or others.

Paragraph 4: However, I agree with the writer and feel like Chris was a little wreckless/ unprepared/ a little cocky
However, I don't think everything Chris McCandles did was positive and admirable. One of the things that I questioned was why he would go out into the wilderness not fully prepared. I think there are ways to experience the optimistic side of life without having to put yourself in so much obvious danger. For example, you can go sky diving without having to think, "This company obviously doesn't have insurance, but I'm going to be outgoing and dangerous and go anyways." This is the part where I kind of think he was "damn lucky". I suppose I'm more of the orderly type, I just felt that his recklessness led him to an outcome that he probably didn't want to be in. He wanted to help other people. He donated college funds to charity, he experienced starvation, I think he wanted to influence the world but in my opinion, his personality could've gotten so much farther and made him so much more content. I sort of feel he cut himself short by being cocky and unprepared.

Paragraph 5: I feel like he was too focused on himself and left a very promising life. Would've made a bigger impact if he took advantage of his life.
Furthermore, he seemed to solely focus on himself. He helped other people, her was a hard worker, and he stayed in touch with friends. I find this positive, yes, but he was pretty rude to some, for example, when he worked at that fast food place. Wearing shoes was courtesy, being more productive on busy days would've been helpful, and walking out the door when he quit is just plain rude. He made the people at the restaurant irritated, he didn't shower and just went into work, and to me, he seemed to split people into categories of priority. Another thing that always gets me is that he had a family that loved him and his future was certain through his hard work. It is difficult to understand why he felt the way he did or act the way he did so my opinions are sort of all over the place. But the attitude he had towards some people and his way of evaluating success wasn't something I'd consider admirable.

Paragraph 6: Experiencing was admirable because he went out to do what he wanted.
Overall, I think his struggles and journey was admirable. I don't fully agree with his actions, but the way he accomplished things, I think, was motivating. He was a hard worker and did jobs many other people didn't want to do. He touched the lives of the people he met and gave hope to some who thought it was hopeless. Those were the things that inspired me and it mada me want to become a more productive and social person. But his overall feelings always confused me like when he said he loved his car then wrote an angry note on his car when the engine was no longer working. He kept in touch with people he just met versus his family who were probably terribly worried about him and trusted him to be okay. I think he wanted to have a fresh new start at life, but didn't consider people that made him a part of their life.