Nature versus Wilderness: "To Build a Fire"

After listening and participating in our class discussion Tuesday morning, I found the above image on Instagram Tuesday evening. Even though I had been a part of the nature/wilderness discussion before, the wheels inside my brain continued to turn. What is nature? What is wilderness? Are they the same? Are they connected? I soon realized that my definition, although similar to many of those stated in class, was based on personal experience. Everything is connected. I think of nature as something created by man. It is a controlled environment where expectations are set at a certain level. Wilderness, on the other hand, is untouched by man. It is an uncontrolled environment filled with surprise. Wilderness is the whole; nature and beings are simply inhabitants. It is where our human spirit lies.

Oddly enough, Tuesday's class discussion gave me a chance to put my recent state of mind into perspective. After viewing a picture of Oregon wilderness, I decided that needed to be my place of retreat. The thrill of adventure and exploration overcame me as I imagined myself amidst uninhabited land. The fact is, I know nothing about wilderness; I grew up in suburbia. Even with that recognition, romanticism still invaded my mind and created an arrogant, nonexistent knowledge with a common thought of, "Oh, I'm different from everyone else. Why do I need hiking experience? I won't get lost." What happens when our imagination becomes reality? What happens when our feelings of excitement dissipate into anxiety? In that moment, I was being the man from Jack London's story "To Build A Fire." I was the ego, an example of the human condition, and proof that knowledge without wisdom is useless. As London stated, "He was a newcomer in the land, a chechaquo, and this was his first winter. The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances " (651). Like the man in the story, I believed I was invincible. At times, I truly believe human beings can benefit from using something other than logic to make informed decisions. 

So you ask, do I plan on going "Into the Wild" of Oregon? Absolutely. I also plan on finding out as much information as possible before doing so. I want to listen to others who have the wisdom and experience I need to achieve my goal. I aspire to be the dog-- instinct over ego.