I don’t know how I should start this post. I don’t know what this post will be about. I don’t know where I’m headed.
There’s this movie, Into The Wild. I’d seen it for the first time in 12th grade. It left me stunned. It’s so sinfully good. The movie is based on a true story about a man named Christopher McCandless a.k.a Alexander Supertramp. A college graduate, he’s dissatisfied with his life..the web of lies he lives in. A life where everything is based on materialistic satisfaction. So, he makes a decision. He donates all his savings, $24000, to Oxfam America and sets out on a cross-country wilderness trek with Alaska as the final destination. He carves the following line into a plank of wood -
‘ No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.’
The movie chronicles the events leading up to his tragic death. It has to be one of the most bittersweet stories of all time.
Inevitably, these kind of movies lead me to think a lot..about the life I have led, the people I have met.
I haven’t led a particularly honest life. I’ve been blessed with a family that’s willing to give me whatever I want, much like the McCandless family. But certain events forced me to change. Changing myself is not decision I regret, but it’s certainly a decision I contemplate. In a life weaved with omissions, dishonesty and hatred, I’ve managed to find some of the most honest and loving people to have ever walked upon this planet.
If I’m a better person today than I was before, its because of these people. Right from the girl who wished me Happy Birthday and told me I looked pretty in 3rd grade, on a day when I’d shed more tears than most others. To the first guy to hold my hand. Right from the grandmother who made my life worthwhile. To the brother who’ll always be the strength of my life.
The people mentioned above (and a whole lot more) made me realize that loving, or for that matter, living, can’t be all that bad. So, yes I’ve had bad days. Hell, most of my days are bad days. And yes, I hate looking into mirrors because they make me cringe. But over the years I’ve learnt that even one moment of pure, unadulterated joy everyday can make you a better person.
As much as I hate it, everything boils down to love. Are you capable of loving? Or are you incapable? Do you stand and stare as your life rushes past you?
P.S. – I hope that at least a few people who read this blog post, will watch the movie. But if you still need some more reasons to watch it, here they are:
1. Eddie Vedder’s amazing music, made even better with the addition of his amazing voice.
2. The rather liberal smattering of quotes from authors and poets such as Tolstoy, Thoreau, Sharon Olds and Lord Byron.
