I Celebrate Myself

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, 

And what I assume you shall assume, 

 For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."

- "The Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman

The first few lines of a free versed poem highlight the core of a poet's insight of himself and the society that surrounds him. Whitman is among the many influential poets who voiced the views during the transition towards transcendentalism. Transcendentalism was philosophical and religious movement during the 1820s, protested against the state of culture and society as it was believed to corrupt the purity of the individual. To preserve the individuality, people should become closer to nature and become self-reliant.

            From the movie, Into the Wild (2007), transcendentalism is put into action, taking place in more recent past of the modern world (1990s). It shows of Christopher Mccandless and his journey to pursuit living in isolation, separated and removed from society completely. He eventually sees that nature is harsh and uncaring, revealing that true happiness is found when shared with others.  

            I personally do not believe I would ever go to such extremes as Mccandless did to find personal freedom. I accept that this society is very material-based and money driven, and there are many flaws into this kind of living. Even if we are aware of these problems, many people will not do anything about it and just get caught up in their lives. It seems that this world moves to fast for anyone to catch their breath and appreciate the little things in life and enjoy nature.

When trying to escape the busy life, most would choose a familiar or nearby place to settle in for a short while. The more adventurous would select a “resort”, “cruise” like vacation. I can’t find myself to call those real vacations since it feels staged, a man-made operation, always with a guide to make sure visitors enjoy themselves. I would prefer improvised road trips to unfamiliar towns or hiking in an uninhabited area of nature to a cruise to the tropical island any day. I want to be part of an adventure that won’t be able to be reduced to a generic vacation pamphlet description.