McCandless Blog - Spencer Beeson

Although I was anticipating the talk by Chris’s parents, I did not know what to expect from the presentation. I knew the parents were bewildered about Chris’s adventure, and were left with a feeling of why? Now I know it’s been a while since Chris’s death but a story like his is not one that could be gotten over quickly, if at all. So this left me wondering what the parent’s attitude would be. John Krakauer obviously thought highly of Chris but he made it clear that the parents did not support Chris’s adventure. So I was glad to hear that they had constantly kept in touch with Krakauer, and with his help, were able to better understand what Chris was doing and why.
To be honest, I was surprised to hear that his parents had traced Chris’s steps, and even entered the bus where Chris deceased. I was, in a way, proud of them, realizing how hard that must have been. His father said how long it took him to read the book, so I can only imagine how long it took them to retrace his steps. The most moving part of the presentation for me was the pictures. The pictures Chris took of his journey left me in awe but his childhood photos were equally compelling. Krakauer told us about his childhood but to see it is entirely different. It was as if the audience was reliving his childhood through the memories of the people who knew it best. I can’t say that the talk helped me understand why Chris did what he did because I already felt like I knew why from the book. But what the presentation did do was show me how intense and spiritual his journey was. It was so moving that even his mother and father could come to accept it. Chris, without a doubt, found something sacred in nature, and that must be one of the reasons he died a happy man. I greatly enjoyed the presentation and story by Chris’s parents because it reinstated a sense of adventure in me.