Jack Kerouac and the World as We Know It...

I recently finished reading "On the Road" for the first time. First of all I want to say I am glad I never read this book before now...I think I read it at the perfect time for myself. This book has sparked a huge desire for me to be back on the road, and to take full advantage of everything it has to offer, and meet every person possible on the way. Live life, I mean really experience everything. It just so happens that I am also in the perfect position for myself to make this all happen. Of course, it will take some time, at least a year or two...but I have found a pretty decent job, and being on the road two summers from now is more then feasible. The only problem is, I have to wait patiently and save some money.

Second of all, I thought this book was very interesting. It shows that even with how different America was back then, the ideals were pretty much the same. The people and experiences described in this book made me recap everyone I know, and have met, and everything I have done and compare the two. There are, suprisingly enough, a lot of similarities. There were the loud obnoxious frat boys, the artsy loners, the artsy loners that just rip old artists off, the people who settle down, the woman chaser, the mad, the happy, the poor, the sane, the insane, the judgemental, the doing, the dying, and so on. America hasnt changed muched. I mean little things have changed. Like people feel a lot less comfortable about things like hitch-hiking these days, whereas then it was a great means of company for a long trip. But the ideals and the generalities are not much different from today at all. Its like when Kerouac writes "I can go anywhere in America and get what I want because its the same in every corner..." This quote is so true. I have driven all around this fair land, and its all the same. Sure just like the 50's were slightly different then today, Seattle, WA is slightly different from Great Falls, MT but the generalities are the same. I dont know a better way to explain it, but I hope you get my point.

It made me think of everything I have thought about life, and the definition of living, and re-think the whole idea. Another quote "This is the American way...People are doing what they feel they're supposed to be doing"...can you think of a better description of the majority of America? Thats exactly what he was referring to...the majority...he certainly wasnt talking about himself and his mad group of "beat" friends...he certainly wasnt talking about Dean. We all have a time in our lives where we think, maybe im supposed to do this...or maybe im supposed to live like this...I for one, know that I have, and have learned thats not what lifes all about. There doesnt have to be supposed to's...There needs to be more going to's...

I dont know what else to say, except read this book...