Escape to the Woods

We all have a place to where we escape. From the big, comfy chair in the den to the third branch of the tree in the back yard, there is a place that we can go to get away from it all.

In Bill Watterson's beautiful comic Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin never seems to stay in one place for long. However, there is one place he always likes to go - the woods in his back yard. He and his trusty "pet tiger" Hobbes run amidst the trees, crossing creeks, navigating fields, and climbing branches. Calving and Hobbes always find what their looking for, and always find their way back home.

These woods seem to be a metaphor of the escape from society that we yearn. In these woods, we can seek adventure, calmly venture serenity, and even reach great heights. When we each find our own escape, it's like we are reaching our child-like state. It's clear, uncomplicated, and all our own.

Next time, after a horrific day of work or a disastrous traffic jam, think like a child. There need be no books, newspapers, televisions, or computers. Just a nice place where you can imagine a "woods" of your own. Remember, Naivete is Bliss.