A Careful Life of Recklessness by Robert
Robertof West Roxbury's entry into Varsity Tutor's April 2014 scholarship contest
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A Careful Life of Recklessness by Robert - April 2014 Scholarship Essay
You throw your tasseled cap into the air, having just graduated with honors from Emory University. But the very next day you donate all 24,000 dollars of your savings to charity, abandon most of your possessions, and embark on a journey to Alaska without a word to your family. Sounds crazy right? Well I don’t think so. The book Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, relates the true story of a young man, Christopher McCandless, who chooses to do just this. He forgoes the things that cut him off from the essence of his being: money, material objects, and conformity. He believes that while a life of security may give him peace of mind, he must set out on a reckless adventure, where each day brings new curiosities and experiences, in order to truly live a meaningful life.
At first, I couldn’t believe the brazen carelessness of McCandless. I was astonished that a young man with such a bright future could throw everything away in one day. But my astonishment quickly turned to admiration, as I realized that he made this decision with the utmost care. He had the courage to break free from the distractions of life that imprison so many others.
While I don’t completely agree with the path he took (I still desire a career and financial security), this book has opened my eyes to the deeper truth of one's existence. Fame, success, and fortune are fine, but they're not enough. I want to spend some of my years recklessly, to discover my own truths. I want to be able to travel across the country on a whim, or to spend a summer in the wilderness of Maine. Because, as McCandless wisely put it: "The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure."