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[at-l] I can relate...

Did anyone see the ABC news show 20/20 last night?  They did a story about a
young man who at his college graduation party announced that he'd be
"dropping out of sight for awhile".  He had a dream to make it from his home
(don't remember where, but he went to Emory Univ -- GA maybe?) to Alaska and
prove that he could live off the land in the wilderness.  He changed his
name to "Alex Supertramp" and started out across the country.  Along the
way, he gave away all of his savings (over $24,000) to a food relief project
and abandoned his car.  Well, he made it to Alaska and there were several
pictures of him with his daily kill and in the wilderness.  He kept a short
journal and was mostly having the time of his life.  

Seems he ran into problems when he realized that he had accomplished what he
meant to accomplish and was ready to head home.  But, the river that he had
crossed so easily in the late winter was now a raging spring river and he
was "trapped by the wilderness" (his words in his journal).  He continued to
survive off the land until he began eating the seeds of the Eskimo Potato
(of which the roots are non-poisinous and he had been eating all along).
Turns out the seeds actually cause the body's digestive system not to work
and he starved to death a few days later.  

It made me really angry that the reporters covering the story made him sound
crazy for doing what he did.  They were really judgemental saying things
like "how could he just leave the comfort of his family and home -- isn't
that awfully cruel to do to his parents?"  and "why would somebody want to
give away all their money, change their name and live in the wilderness?".
I was sitting there thinking "duh -- why not?"  We are all so obsessed with
conquering this 2100 mile trail and with learning how to live outside for a
few months(not to mention using those trail names!).  Then, my mother, who
had also seen the show, called to say "that sounded like somehting you would
do -- don't even think about it".  (It wasn't worth the arguement, I quickly
changed the subject)

So, I guess I don't really have a point.  Just wonderin' if anyone else out
there saw the show and really felt a connection to this guy.   I don't think
he was crazy at all, and I don't think we're crazy for what we all want to
do/have done.  But does the rest of the world?

Poohbear
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Jennifer Delia Sawyer	|	"Be the best you can be
Hall Director		|	in the place that you are;
Department of Residential Life	|	and be kind.  
University of New Hampshire	|	Kind to yourself,
Durham, NH  03824		|	Kind to others and 
(603) 862-3812		|	Kind to the land."
jdsawyer@hopper.unh.edu	|		-- Helen Neering
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