Lost and Found

I’m sure I am not the only one who sometimes thinks it would be great to just get lost for awhile. You know, get off the grid and head for the woods or the mountains or the desert just to be as far away from people as possible. To venture out searching for America, or for your destiny, or for your soul. But very few of us actually pull this off. Our jobs, our families, and our fears keep us close to home.

This weekend I got to see the stories of two people who did just that. The first was on CBS Sunday Morning. It was the story of a hiker, who was found dead in his tent in a Florida campground. He had no electronics, no identification, no clues to who he might be. No cause of death determined. Authorities tried their best to find out who this man was. They failed. But others took up the challenge. A Facebook Group of 6000 people eventually discovered that he was an IT guy from Louisiana, who had just had enough. He traveled the Appalachian Trail from New York to Georgia, then walked into Florida, and died. You may have seen him as he crossed Route 309 on top of Blue Mountain! Did he achieve his dream of solitude? We’ll never know.

The second was the movie Nomadland ,on Hulu and in theaters. This one is fictional and the story of a woman whose husband dies and her company town also dies after the closing of a mill. She buys an old van and outfits it as a traveling home. She explores the western United States, the scenery in the movie is just wonderful. She was asked once if she is homeless. She said that she is houseless, not homeless, and that is a big difference. The movie really makes you think about life and death and about family and freedom. She, unlike the hiker, makes some friends along the way. But she has an opportunity to settle down in a beautiful house. She says no.

Could I be one of these two? I don’t think so. Actually, I know the answer is no. But it is still nice to dream about. I will, instead, get my off the grid fix by reading and watching movies and TV. Reading about and watching the tales of those with real courage will have to do. I think the best I can do comes from a ’60s song I bet most you have forgotten, “Let’s Get Lost on a Country Road” by the Kit Kats! Get to your Spotify now! You know you want to.