Abby and I saw “Wild” last night. It’s the true story about Cheryl Strayed’s adventure along the 1,100-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. It took her over 100 days to do it. And she did it alone without any training or experience. Cheryl impulsively took the journey to find herself. Her chronicles are about resilience and self-discovery and forgiveness.
The film has plenty of powerful moments! One of the most unforgettable is on Day 1 of the excursion. You can tell Cheryl (played impressively by Reese Witherspoon) is struggling with the desert heat and her burdensome backpack. She keeps murmuring to herself, “I can quit anytime.” She looks back and she can see her starting point on the trail.
I considered my option. There were only two and they were essentially the same. I could go back in the direction I had come from, or I could go forward in the direction I intended to go. – Cheryl Strayed
The moment was profound to me. I have often enthusiastically and confidently jumped into a new project. And sometimes, I experience this initial panic from multiple angles. The project is harder than anticipated. I’m not as knowledgeable as I thought. I become overwhelmed in trying to manage the flurry of chaos. I look back and see the starting point, the exit door. I look forward and see completion, resolution, triumph looming in the distant future. I tell myself “I can quit anytime.” And sometimes, I do! The times I don’t are my true success stories.
The magnificent Laura Dern plays Reese’s mother in “Wild.” The movie is called by some a mother-daughter love story. In a flashback scene, Cheryl accuses her mom of not ‘getting it.‘ And unflinching Dern retorts with ‘I get it. I get it all.‘ The mother, even faced with dire circumstances, chose to live life joyously.
My mother used to say something that drove me nuts. There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty. -Cheryl Strayed
I highly recommend seeing “Wild.” And Abby says the book is even better.