Out of the Normal
Sitting at a desk, going to work from nine to five can get boring. Doing the same thing every day. Day in, day out. Nobody wants to do that. There has been a lot of controversy whether Chris McCandles was admirable, or crazy. Jon Krakauer was correct to make his assumption when he said Chris McCandles was admirable. He earned the respect of his friends. He was brave. He was very smart.
None of Chris’ friends, the people who really knew him best, had anything negative to say about him. His friends said that he was a smart kid that loved to read. “He read a lot. Used a lot of big words.” (Krauker, Into the Wild) They recalled that he was a hard worker. His friends believed that he would survive Alaska, and were surprised that he died. They thought very highly of him.
Chris was very brave. He had attempted to do what very few people had attempted to do. When Gallien was driving Chris to the boarder, he continued to try to talk Chris out of going in. “I tried to scare him with bear stories… But he wouldn’t give an inch. He had an answer for everything I threw at him.” (Krauker, Into the Wild) Not even the idea of fear caused Chris fear. He was always up for an adventure. Chris was more focused on living and having fun, than on the consequences of his fun.
Chris McCandles was a very smart young man. He was very impulsive when it came to the big plans, but he always had the small details planned. He said, “Please return all mail I receive to the sender. It might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again, I want you to know you’re a great man.” He knew all the possibilities of his trip to Alaska, and was planning for them. Chris loved to read. When he was found dead, he was surrounded by books.
Chris McCandles was very admirable. His friends all respected him, he was brave, and he was smart. Chris lived a short life, but it was anything but ordinary.
By Jordana Gentile
Florida, United States