What is so appealing about nature? Is it the serenity? Is it vivid colors of the plants and shrubbery, like a disfigured rainbow, that dance across our vision? A person enjoys nature because of its ability to capture an individual’s attention, and make that person forget about certain problems, yet it does not discard society’s issues; rather, nature presents these issues in a different form. Nature represents the social inequalities faced by many in society in terms of the predator and prey, and clouds are a metaphor for opportunity, endlessly drifting away, caught in the whirlwind of life.

Upon entering the woods, I noticed the crackle of each leaf beneath my feet with every step. As I continued to walk, I gazed at the trunk of the widest tree, where a squirrel was perched, ready to pounce at any second. Without thinking, I started towards the squirrel, each step louder than the last. It promptly darted up the tree and into the sanctuary at the top. The squirrel recognized me as higher up, due to my size, and in turn ran fearfully. Although not necessarily physically dominant, the overbearing appearance of certain leaders in society create a cloud of doubt and fear in the mind of those feeling second class. The exaggerated size of these leaders in the brain cause the socially inferior to cower in fear and run from danger. A hierarchy exists everywhere, from a miniscule squirrel to a political giant. There will always be a separation, an injustice, not by the faults of the oppressed, but by the malicious and greedy mind of the oppressors.

As I lie staring at the baby blue sky, I noticed that within a short amount of time, each cloud, a dinghy treading the open waters, came and went with no regard to the world it floats over. There was no cloud different than the rest, each swept by a delightful breeze, carried onward and onward like waves on the open sea. We, as individuals, are surfing the wave of society that stops for nothing. When we see the shore, we must jump off our board. It is essential that we grab opportunities as they present themselves, or else we too may become trapped in the maze of society: Hopeless, desperate, and lost.

The natural world that I visited, my Walden, is a microcosm, for it exhibits our society today. A social hierarchy exists everywhere, from the simple oak tree to our community. There will always be a higher power, but the dominant magnify that power to completely take control over the weak. Life constantly pushes us forward, and we are often sucked into life’s eternal cycle, which in turn deviates our focus from our true purpose as an individual, whatever that may be. We must make our own decisions, and fight for ourselves, or risk being pawns in a giant game of chess.