Betting on insecurity

  “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” -Christopher McCandless.

As we know, Chris ran headfirst into the philosophy of waking up under a new sun every day.  It did not end well because of a series of life-ending micro miscalculations that occurred over many months, in which the sum total of were fatal.  Remove just one of those miscalculations and he would have lived to die another day perhaps. 

Could some desire for a secure future be needed to allow Chris to identify the traps?  Personal defiance is similar to an argument that we have with someone in our own heads.  It is only self-inflicted injury.

I do however feel that the words quoted above are extremely important.  I have indeed jumped in the dark, never knowing if there was a place to land so many times in my life.  These are the times that led to the best experiences I have had.  When I say best, I do not mean that I was warm, dry, and comfortable at all times.  Many times I was none of these and was not sure how badly things would turn out, but the opportunity to learn and succeed is rampant at times like these.

There is a natural tendency to strive for that secure future when you have had an insecure past. There are many tools that are brought on that journey. I perceive the danger is that we strive to make things better, which means really, to make them take minimal effort with the maximum return, by which I mean... boring.

This is where the slow death begins.  This is probably why I hate the idea of electricity.  It nullifies people and makes them dependent on an ever-increasing slope. It is a drug that we are being poisoned with.  Dulling us with convenience, our memories of how to carry out useful tasks fade into nothing.  Before my entire self is gone, I desperately grasp at my skill sets, not allowing those who wish to delete them to have them.  This is where things become strange.

There is a corralling happening under the disguise of volunteering. Be content, be comfortable, fit the mold, and be a good little drone. Let the grocery stores and the ready-to-eat food producers continue to tell us that they are the only ones who can provide a secure daily life.  

The fact is, "they" are so wrong about most of everything.  It is why hikers come home after 6 months on a trail and thin out their possessions.  It is why, despite the propaganda, you can live without electricity, internet, and public utilities. With the smallest bit of forethought, most of the dire happenings in the morning news will not apply to you. 

The "news" has never been so useless as it is now.  Be real.  Be yourself. You can do it, I know you can.