America has perfected the art of providing glimpses into the great woods that once dominated the continent through cracks in the veneer of the concrete jungle that has now colonized them. These small capsules of nature, pockets of enforced wilderness, if you will, paradoxically called “parks”, give one a deceptive sense of competence in a primal paradigm, almost in a I-am-a-homo-sapiens-I-can-survive-in-the-woods sort of way, without one having to really divorce the comforts of civilization. Walk through such a park at the break of down, or whenever you can really, and you will no doubt be captivated by how effortlessly the woods make the most rudimental of things, the sun, the soil, the leaves, all come together to paint a perfect picture of natural tranquility. But how “real” is this? Are you really in the woods? While you bask in the gratification of seemingly being away from civilization, you cannot but chuckle at the irony of the proximity of this Eastern American deciduous perfectness “protected for your pleasure” by the parks authority, to your car parked a mere mile away. After all, isn't the civilized world all about having to first get into your car and drive a few miles if you want to go for a walk?
In any case, lest you mistake my sardonicism for world-weariness, which I realize is totally uncalled for, do know that I took these photos on one such morning walk on the super short (1.1 miles) yet picturesque Ledges Trail at the Liberty Park in Twinsburg, OH. Don't let me enjoy my soapbox for too long!
