Into the Wild

The Merry Monkey April 7th, 2008

I’ve spent my entire life in a cage. I’m a Rhesus Monkey. I know some of my relatives live in the jungle or in zoos. I’ve seen them on TV. But I work in a lab to help the humans study the effects of blogging on the central nervous system of primates.

You may feel sorry for me, but you shouldn’t. I’m happy. My work is meaningful. Millions of people will benefit from the research in which I’m involved. Plus, I get to spend a lot of time just kicking around on the Internet, watching monkey videos, and jumping into the occasional flame war.

However, my sense of purpose and the free high-speed Internet connection aren't the only reasons I'm so happy.

I’ve been reading the Bible lately and I’ve noticed that it usually doesn’t end well for people that are compelled (for whatever reason) to go into the wilderness. If they don’t wander around till they die in the desert, they come back with some revelation, some message that eventually gets them killed. People don’t like you when you’re different. People want you to go with the flow. You know, go along to get along.

I had a cousin once who…let’s just say, wasn’t all there. He was a couple bananas short of a bunch. The other monkeys were relentless. Eventually they sent him away from the troop to fend for himself.

But I’m not talking about we-tall-did monkeys here. I’m talking about people that intentionally go into the wild. You know the type.

If you can help it, don’t go. If you can resist the urge, stay safe at home and don’t go treading off to find holy ground. Things will turn out much better for you if you simply buy into the system. You may be unenlightened, but hey, you'll have cable, running water and fried chicken.

Of course, if you’re one of those restless souls who’s not sure who you are or why you’re here; if you have some deep desire to test yourself against the harshness of nature; if you know there’s more to life than what you’re experiencing in your school, cubical or church and that the answers you need may be found in the wilderness; if that’s you, my warning won’t make a bit of difference. People that can stay probably don't have that peculiar calling. And if you're called, you’re gonna have to go.

But when you go, please do us all a favor and do your homework to prepare to survive in the wilderness. That way you can come back and tell the rest of us ham and eggers what you learned.

I just watched a movie called Into the Wild.

***Spoiler Alert***

Into the Wild is the true story of Christopher McCandless. This guy made great grades in college. He was really smart and read Tolstoy and Thoreau. He loathed the shallow materialism of American society and dreamed of a life of solitude and contemplation. He also had serious issues with his parents which one reviewer of the movie said would have been better worked out with a good therapist rather than in the wilderness.

Alas, Christopher chose the wild. Mix up all the influences, intelligence, dysfunctions (along with pure motivations) and the result is this:

When McCandless graduated from Emory with a degree in history and anthropology, he cut up his driver’s license and burned his Social Security card. He gave away the $24,000 that remained in his college fund to Oxfam International and burned his cash. Then he tramped off to the Alaskan wilderness. He eventually ended up dying of starvation after eating a poisonous plant that shut down his digestive system. (If he’d of packed a map of the area, he would have known that he was walking distance from help. See what I mean about preparation?)

Anyway, the pointlessness of McCandless’ death is overshadowed in the movie by what he learned in his isolation (I’m assuming this was documented in his journals). This is one of those films you'll be haunted by and find yourself thinking through for days. My mom said she was "disturbed." My wife and I were deeply moved and wept like babies at the end.

Christopher and the McCandless family owe a debt of gratitude to Jon Krakauer (he penned the book about Christopher’s life, Into the Wild) and Sean Penn who wrote the screenplay and directed the movie. These men have not only brought back McCandless’ revelation from his journey into the wild, they have redeemed his senseless death (a death that in my opinion resulted from his stubbornness, stupidity, and cruelty/unforgiveness for his family). Krakauer and Penn have made it possible for us to hear Christopher McCandless’ voice echoing to us from the grave.

As with most art, I’m sure people will see what they want (or what they can handle) when watching Into the Wild. Here’s the message I heard.

Happiness is only real when shared. But more than that, you can only share life with people when you forgive. Because when you forgive, you love. And when you love, God's light shines upon you.

Here’s a quote from Tolstoy’s essay Family Happiness that was used in the movie. This excerpt represents much of what McCandless learned (all too late).

“I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor — such is my idea of happiness. And then, on the top of all that, you for a mate, and children perhaps — what more can the heart of man desire?”

That brings me back to why I’m so happy here in my cage. True, I have purpose here. I’m also surrounded by loving family members (granted, they’re in cages too). With Tolstoy and McCandless, I agree that those things are vitally important. I would also add to the list…running water and fried chicken. But what's more, the Internet has given me the ability to connect with you.

For many, the Web is simply a channel for distributing information. But for me…for me, the Internet is a vehicle for sharing moments of happiness. Some say these moments are silly and pointless. But if those people would stoop to share them, they would find that our happiness becomes real. And for that moment (alone and together in our cages) we can lose ourselves in the wild love of God and experience radical freedom and infectious joy.

The Merry Monkey is an obscure blogger and fan of [ping] and Etcetera. He’d love to share a bit of laughter with you. Anyone interested can email him at merry.monkey@yahoo.com.

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 1:50 pm and is filed under Etcetera, Forgiveness, Freedom, God, Happiness, Into the Wild, Joy, Laughter, Love, Movies, The Merry Monkey. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.