A combination of items that inspire in my soul a desire to be wayward.
Into The Wild is one of my favourite films and the above scene is a particularly special part.
Soundtrack by Eddie Vedder. It gives a good idea of the half-despairing, half-elated feel of the film. (I hope that playlist thing I've embedded works..)
Into The Wild is the story of Christopher McCandless and his adventures, a roadtrip to Alaska, inspired by his disillusionment with materialism and enrapturement with nature.
I want to say more about the film, but all I can really think of that does it justice is: Watch it. As soon as possible.
OK, next...
The following photographs are by Mike Brodie:
This is a really great interview with the guy. Some information on Brodie, taken from the interview:
"Mike Brodie left home at 18 for a new life on America’s grid of railways and began to photograph the people he encounters on the tracks and in the squats – those who, for whatever their reasons, embrace the travel culture."
And in his own words:
"But, as far as simply taking photos, I got into it about four years ago when I found a crappy Polaroid (camera) in the back of my friend’s car, and she said I could have it so I went and bought a pack of film and shot a picture of the handlebars of my BMX bike – I used to ride BMX for six years – and it came out with the craziest colors. I was hooked… I started shooting Polaroid. Simultaneously, I met Savannah, my girlfriend, and we both had freight trains rolling by our house. And she’s the wild punk girl I was fascinated with and we wanted to hop trains, but she was still in school, so I said ‘Fuck this, man, I want to ride trains!’ So I quit my job and waited around for a while and she still wasn’t ready so I hopped a train to Jacksonville from Pensacola. I didn’t know what I was doing, and ever since then it’s been a learning process, learning how to ride trains correctly, and what I photographed has evolved."
And most importantly:
Hobo Code, Annual Convention Congress of the Hoboes of America, Chicago, 1894:
1. Decide your own life, don’t let another person run or rule you.
2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
3. Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hoboes.
4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town.
5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals treatment of other hoboes.
7. When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you.
8. Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
10. Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
12. Do not cause problems in a train yard. Another hobo will be coming along who will need passage thru that yard.
13. Do not allow other hoboes to molest children, expose to authorities all molesters, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
14. Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
15. Help your fellow hoboes whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
16. If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it, whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!
1. Decide your own life, don’t let another person run or rule you.
2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
3. Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hoboes.
4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town.
5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals treatment of other hoboes.
7. When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you.
8. Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
10. Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
12. Do not cause problems in a train yard. Another hobo will be coming along who will need passage thru that yard.
13. Do not allow other hoboes to molest children, expose to authorities all molesters, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
14. Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
15. Help your fellow hoboes whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
16. If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it, whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!
No wait, lastly:
A stellar song full of my kind of romance.
Oh I absolutely love your blog! Very intesesting posts. We call one of our friends at school a hobo, and we like to communicate with hobo lingo somtimes, ie "Let's get some gump and make a mulligan!", "Meet me at the soup bowl," etc.
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