The McCandless Presentation-Thomas Rogers

I had no idea what to expect going into this presentation. I was interested to hear what Chris’ parents had to say from their point of view, but I was also speculative whether or not they would reveal what kind of parents they were and how they raised Chris. From reading Into the Wild I got that Chris was very different, a person that one might consider to be abnormal. After hearing about Chris’ childhood and seeing pictures throughout it I felt as though I had a better understanding as to where he came from. Before attending this presentation I had assumed that Chris was just afraid of conforming to a typical mold and since he was done with school and forced to enter the real world he just snapped. Chris’ parents made it more clear to me that Chris had always had a sense of adventure and a rebellious nature early on. I do believe Chris’ adventure was spiritual, I believe he disappeared into the wild to satisfy something within himself. Not many people would have the audacity to commit to anything as much as Chris committed to his journey. Hearing his parents talk made me realize this, and I can appreciate his effort in finding himself, something that I believe is rarely accomplished today.