Into the Wild - A book review

Renouncing TV has provided me with ample time to work on other, more enduring pursuits,like finishing the book I started like in, I dunno, July. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I have to say I enjoyed the last 50 pages of the book more that I thought and more than the first 150 pages. Yes, it took me 2 months to finish a 200 page book. TV was easier. Well no excuses, no apologies, moving on...

Initially I was drawn to the book as I loved the idea of the main character, Christopher McCandless, striking out on his own, being resolved in his beliefs and the pursuit of his dream. "He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself..." it states on the cover of the book. "and invented a new life for himself" A seedling of a thought growing in myself at the time, this phrase and the whole romantic notion of starting anew and setting out to discover yourself and a new life for yourself appealed to me. And it being a true story, I must admit I thought I may find some inspiration or insight in his adventure.

I was therefore quickly disappointed to find that his journey was a failure due to his death, apparently from starvation as a result of his unwillingness to be adequately prepared for his trek into the remote Alaskan wilderness. The ending revealed, I found that my interest in the book waned quickly and I had given up on it being much more than a magazine article recounting the few exploits know about McCanless stretched into a short book. I did find a few parts on the book a bit tedious and drawn out. I was also put off my McCanldless disregard for his parents and seeming lack of any form or sociability. I must admit thought that Krakauer did a pretty amazing job of tracking down every little smidgen of information about McCandless and his travels before and up to his last one to Alaska.

Krakauer pulled it together in the last few pages of the book and I was very captivated by what he uncovered regarding 'Alexander Supertramps' last days. He was more capable and prepared for his several months stay in the Alaskan wilderness that anyone had presumed. He did manage to survive for several months and, aside for a few misfortunes, he may have made it.

In the end I was actually impressed my both the author and his subject and found I really enjoyed the book. I know that this is one story that I will often come back to mind to ponder during sleepless nights. I think most significantly what impacted me was how, despite his declaration of contempt for his parents, society and civilization, his journey seemed to reveal to him some other truth. In the few brief entries in his books and the few notes he made it appeared that the desire to return and find human companionship and perhaps assimilate in some way with society had returned to him. Haven proved to himself what he needed to, he was ready to go home. I find it tragic yet almost poetic and apt that at the moment of his dreams fulfillment, his ultimate desire satiated, that he himself expired as if his very purpose for the

Yea, whatever, it's late and I can't get out what I want to say.

So, speaking of ultimate desires and purpose. My next book is called 'Callings - Finding and Following an Authentic Live' by Gregg Levoy. Obviously not a novell so I am also going to read 'A Fine Balance' by Rohinton Mistry at the same time. Callings was recomended to my by Rob and the mention of it and circumstances around getting it seemed to affirm to me that it was the right one to read next.

I turned off the TV

So yesterday I decided to toss the TV and see what sort of a life exists out there beyond the tube. I promptly found a need to occupy my time so I've decided to start blogging my journey to develop new hobbies, pursue new activities and generally become a more interesting and fascinating person; if not to others than at least to myself.

When I came up with the idea yesterday I was initially a bit hesitant to make any drastic and possibly unchangeable decision, like cancelling cable or actually getting rid of the TV. I was just going to hide the TV Cable in my storage locker or give it to a friend to keep for a bit. Really, that was my plan. Pretty funny eh? Or even just try using my own freedom of will to abstain for a bit. But today I am thinking that if I am going to do this then do it and don't look back. My dad sometimes tells me tales of the olden days when they never had TV. Gosh! Well they managed to survive it so maybe I can to. And apparently there are people in other parts of the world who have never seen Lost. OK, those were funnier in my head. Anyway, I think I will call Shaw and cancel my cable vision tomorrow.

I suspect I am going through a mid-life crisis but as I can't afford the new Porshe convertible and have no interest in a 22 year old boyfriend so I have to find another way of dealing with it. I've decided to dump all my old baggage about my life (Fear, doubt etc) and expel my long list of materialistic wants and just try to participate in and enjoy life. OK, enough of that. That's for another blog. No, I'm not really having a mid-life crisis. I'm just at mid life and want to make a little more of myself and perhaps achieve something. Is that too much to ask?

Yesterday I went for a bike ride in the morning out to Acadia beach and bit of a walk towards the two towers. There sure are a lot of people up jogging along the seawall on the west side at 9am on a Saturday. Made me want to be jogging. I saw 8-10 teams in outrigger canoes playing some sort of 'Survivor' game (oops a TV reference). The were paddling to a small beach, just off shore, one member had to jump out into 2 or so feet of water and run to shore and collect a marker or something in a tent and run back. I stopped and watched for a bit. Lots of cheering and laughter. Such activities may appeal to me.

A quick power nap (I was up at 7am after all) and went to meet Flyer-R and his partner at Granville Island. They've been together like 5 years or so and I had never met his partner and have only seen him 3 times in as many years. All due to my decision to start saying yes and participating in life rather than peering out at it from behind my living room drapes. We just sat and chilled and visited for an hour or so and enjoyed being on Granville island. Just being. There was a cool old converted fishing vessel moored there that we went over and checked out. People seemed to be lunching or cocktailing on the deck, just a dozen or so we tried to figure out what it was about, a private ship? family? weekend cruises? chartered? Anyway it was called Cape James and he could not find it on his Internet Google on his phone (cool) but later I found it on line. Surprisingly it is http://www.capejames.com/.

We chatted briefly about jobs. He is looking to make a change as well and recommended a book for me to read. Well it was recommended to him but he has yet to buy it. It is called Callings by Gregg Levoy. I walked down to Chapters after dinner to pick it up but they had none in the store and a quick check revealed none in any Vancouver store. Hmm. Want the book even more now.

Went for a run along the seawall and around science world. Probably close to 8K. Was really pooped but then realized that I had done 1 hour on the elliptical the day before AND walked 2 hours to Brothers and back that night. No wonder it was so difficult. On the way back I went past the new Olympic Village site. It looks really nice. Well they did a good job of the seawall anyway. There is a cool new pedestrian bridge that I like running over. (it takes little to amuse me), some cool benches that I will sit in some day (when I am strolling by with a friend, not while running) and take in the view of Vancouver and they are building this 'Habitat Island' which beautifies the area and adds the required natural element and is supposed to be a home for various birds and waterlife. But there is a land bridge to it which I don't get. Why let people on it? That I do not get.

Oh and I've started walking naked around the apartment with the blinds open. Well not always, just after showering and while changing,only for a brief moment or two. As the entire living area of my apartment is visible to inhabitants of the new condo tower across the street I have been closing my blinds in modesty but find often the blinds stay closed after. It is so much more cheery in here with the blinds open. So since I am cycling and running and working out more now I find I am changing and showering more and thus closing the blinds more and living in darkness. Why should I sacrifice my cheery environment for them. They want a $700,000 view, they can have one.