still a bit choked up...

I just watched Into the Wild; a true story about a college graduate determined to turn his back on his family, materialism, and society at large. If you've read the popular book by the same name, or if you read Outside magazine back in 1993, you already know the story. It's riveting to read. It was heart-wrenching to watch.

I didn't read the book. I read the shorter version of the story in Outside. So, I didn't have all the details. Through the first part of the movie, I kept thinking, What a stupid kid. What an idealistic, foolish kid! What is he thinking? But as the movie progresses, you learn more about his background, and his sensitivity and what motivates him to make the choices he's making.

I'm not a movie critic. I'm not going to talk about the director, the quality of the cinematography, or the soundtrack; although they all seemed to work — and excel — in this movie. I just know there is a lot in this movie to think about. Was this kid naive? An ungrateful, self-centered brat? A victim just trying to find Truth? A brave, adventurous soul? Yes, you could probably argue that he was all of those things. But what really jumped out at me was that after reaching his goal of living simply off the land in the wilderness, he came to realize that "happiness is only real when shared." We need each other. People don't do well alone. So, go on, get off the computer & go hug your spouse, your kids, your parents, your friends... go hug somebody and let them know how important they are to you.

And if you go see the movie, take kleenex. You're going to need them.