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| I was touched and amazed by this epic movie.
I remember years ago hearing from my mother about this young man in Alaska that lived courageously and fully and how they found him dead in a bus in the middle of the Alaskan wild. My mom said- "I hope that doesn't end up you!"
At the time I was very similar in spirit to him. I would travel hitchhiking across America with some beautiful souls met along the way and felt at peace in the quiet places. In the majestic forest. Naked in a stream, listening to the wise nonstop teachings of the river. I felt childlike and free.
I felt, me. Beutiful and complete. Vulnerable and yet held. Present.
BUt those times of adolescence are stormy. ANd at times (and still now) I would also "war against the world"
I think that is the side that my mom saw in me that scared her. My heart, tormented from being so big. Wanting justice and freedom, but floundering in a harsh world that is reality.
SHe knew me to be radical at times.
I remember thinking after I read the story about him, "Yeah, I get that. I get him."
I think alot of people of this forum can relate.
ANd I remember at times in my life thinking about him, about his journey to be real, to connect. I remeber feeling so many times that I'd rather be in natures company alone, than to be in a crowd of people... alone.
I haven't seen a movie like this in so long, so potent, so real. I feel like it really reminded me of what my heart is.
I'm sharing this here because yoga for a long time hahs done the same. It's funny how being in nature which is, wild, can do to me what a strict disciplining of the mind can do to me.
Freee me.
I am happy that I am tamed, trained- to a small extent. Someone, wrote, was it Zoe, Cindy? THat Lives can be torn apart all in the name of "yoga" in the pursuit of truth. I think this is SO true. that there are many instances where someone searching for what they believe to be truth can end up hurting so many people. Like this boy's family. ANd like what we see everyday in war and love.
I too actually had an experience while living in (escaping to ) Mexico. I ran away with a boy who I met in India. I literally ran away from my life. I was there (India) and ispired and Alive! ANd this boy represented everything pure and good in the world. WHen I couldn't handle my life back home after what I had been through, I fled to Canada and proceeded to have some of the most beautiful experiences of my life living as a Karma Yogi at the Ashram.
BUt tradgedy struck my young friend's mother in Mexico, which is where I followed him down to.
After a long and hard time filled with abuse and violence I became sick to the point where I believed I was dying. (Again, the name of this story should be, "From Heaven to Hell and Back to Earth again")FOr 3 weeks I could barely muster the strength to crawl outside and get some fresh air, in a daze.
I really thought I was on my path, but it was then, that life threw me a curveball and made me see that I was causing so much pain in my loved one's lives. I was estranged from everyone who supported me and loved me back home. In my reckless pursuit of what I thought to be my path and truth, I denyed the God in all of the wonderful people in my life. My mom, especially.
I always struggled with the whole, renounce everything, all your materialistic possesions, family, etc and really submerge yourself into God- thing.
I always felt that that was the ultimate goal in this life, to be free- freedom from the wheel of life, you know? Freedom from Causality.
ANd being a stubborn redhead on a mission from God- I am the type to do just that. But being raised in Italy most my childhood, andf Italian, I cling to family, and they to me.
A Swami of mine once said, that if it is creating too much struggle, than it is not for this lifetime, to renounce everything.
But it wasn't until that moment in Mexico, My spirit broken, my body broken, that I truly realized what he meant.
My husband now, never stopped believing in me even through his pain. HE was my partner for 9 years... ANyway THis is personal I know, But It's nice to have a place to be real and feel real reflection in like minded folk. At times, In my home with my baby, I feel like that was all such a different lifetime ago. But lately ( God Speaks to us) Life has been giving me little hints to what the next step is. ANd through this time of self discovery I've been asking for some guidance on the whole figuring out the universe thing, ANd well, I think this movie really reminds me of this other life- that is also a part of me. I fI can learn to live sustainably with my family and my path to spiritual fullfillment, the balance between living in this material world, and living for those quiet magic moments of Presentness, LOVE ofr GODness, or whatever you want to call it- that is fullfillment.
ANy stories, thoughts?
Edited by larabear 2008-02-11 1:47 AM
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| I have just read the book after seeing it on Oprah. A friend recommended to read the book first before watching the movie. The author writes very well. I also read Into Thin Air by the same author. I understand the (Into the Wild) story but couldn't relate to it personally. but your post was really interesting, larabear. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Thanks a lot for that, larabear. I think we have so many choices these days and a lot of us think that freedom is running around like a kid in a candy store doing exactly what we want to do at exactly the moment we feel like doing it. As you have found, that life is in fact, a slavery to the senses and can make the mind and body very unhealthy. True inner freedom is much more difficult and much more rewarding. When the mind is at peace we can be free wherever we are.  |
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| what i really loved about this film was how gracefully it was managed.
so often, films are judgemental, telling the audience what to think or feel--reflectng and creating culture simultaneously. such a film could have gone two ways: 1. glorifying him and saying "all should do this!" or 2. judging him and saying "look at this horrible young man and what he did!"
but instead, this film hold such grace and absolution (as in, to dissolve into unity). it's really about choices. each character in the film, in and around the lead, is making choices--some for good, some for bad, but always doing what we think or feel is right in the moment: even at our worst, striving to offer our best.
i felt that this young man was simply observed with love and tenderness, with clarity about the emotional turmoil that he faced, and the emotional turmoil that he caused in others as well as the love and grace he helped to bloom also (and how others helped him to bloom too). |
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| I read the book several years ago. I've read most, if not all, Krakaur's books. I felt sorry for the kid.  He was so close to being ok, but didn't make it. I loved the pic of him smiling just days before his death. He seemed to still be happy even though I think he knew he was not going to make it. (I may be remembering the details wrong-it's been years.) I have not seen the movie, but I look forward to it. Lara, interesting story of yours, Thanks for taking the time so share.
I feel like we are just little toys in the force of nature. We really have no recourse when nature rears her head. I have no desire to try and beat her, like by climing Everest, but that's just me. I understand that I don't "get it". Maybe it's not a matter of beating her, but joining her? Still, I don't get it. |
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| according to a friend of mine who lives in fairbanks, the bus that he died in is less than 1.5 miles from help. the direction that he took to get to the bus was to get a ride "way out of town" and then he managed to hike back towards town--probably without knowing it--and then found the bus.
had he walked a straight line in a certain direction (roughly opposite of the way he came), he would have run right into the outskirts of town and someone to help.
it's interesting to me.
she said alaska is strange like that. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Kym - "nature bats last." I have never found out who originated that saying, though it was surely an American since it is a baseball analogy. It really says it all. |
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| So true, Tourist. I saw a special on the History Channel called "After People are Gone". It showed how all of our buildings would break down over time, and how finally after about 10,000 yrs there would be absolutely no trace of us. |
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Into the Wild
