Story about disappeared wayward soul/canoeist

[Alan Gage]

Long but well written and a very interesting read:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/14/the-wayfarer

Alan

 

[dave0]

An interesting read for certain. I know there was another guy that AndyS ran into in NJ doing the same kind of journey, his name escapes me now as it was a couple of years ago.

 

[Muskrat]

Thanks for sharing that Alan. Kind of leaves you with a haunting feeling. Wonder what happened to him.

 

[Odyssey]

To be honest, if he survived I doubt we'd ever hear from him. He was an anonymous person in a great big world, not looking for attention of any kind. It was pure happenstance that the journalist should encounter him, and so shared his story with us. And what a fascinating life story it is! Sadly, a tortured soul finally finding an escape through solo tripping. But this story and his is so much bigger than just a solo tripping adventure, because as much as he tried to get away from society he was actually travelling through it. Many of the people he passed by might've thought him a weirdo, but there were some who were braver and kinder in their encounter. I wonder if Richard had any idea how many lives he touched and changed? I would have treated him well, offering him food, shelter, some spare cash, but I wouldn't have believed a single story he'd tell. Travelling across America? Yeah, sure you are. Be safe and have a pleasant journey. I'll be more careful in my judgement from now on. This fellow makes cross country travel by canoe, canoe cart and on foot look...almost easy. Perhaps it is. I've read of other wanderers who with $5 in their pocket hop on a rusty old bicycle and pedal across Europe, or lace up some old boots and tramp across America. Not every journey ends in despair and defeat. It seems we only hear about the tragedies, or the successful ones with glossy photo coffee table books. There must be many, many thousands of wayward wanderers who strike out on soul searching journeys, find what they're looking for, and quietly move on. I can only hope this Richard fellow found what he was looking for.