Dreamland

Back to Nature

We live in the treetops, in nests made of sticks, leaves, and straw. We gather fruits and nuts to eat, and climb down to drink water from nearby streams. Before winter the men band together to hunt, and we smoke the meat that will allow us to survive until spring.

It has been a while since we left civilization, so long that I've started to lose track. I remember that spring many years ago… My son was still a boy then, not quite a teenager. Now he is a young man, and has taken a mate. With luck, soon he will have a son of his own.

My wife had first suggested moving to the treetops. "Other families in the homeschooling group are doing it. And you always say how the stress of your job is killing you. It would be great to get back to nature, get away from the city, the pollution, the traffic…"

"But this is crazy! Hunting and gathering food to survive like cavemen. And living outdoors, in the elements... We don't know anything about surviving in the wild!" I replied.

"There are lots of families already doing it, and they welcome newcomers. They help you get started. Cathy was at the park today. Her family has been living up there for a month now; they love it! She just came back down for the day to tell us about it, to see if anyone else was interested."

"Come on, Dad! It'll be fun!" my son said.

So I let them talk me into it...

A reporter visited our clan today. Apparently, more and more families are now moving out and living off the land. We caught on in the beginning of a major trend. The woman who interviewed me asked the usual questions: Why did we do it, what was it like, wasn't it hard on the children, etc. She was so busy with her camcorder, answering her cell phone, checking the time on her watch, really wrapped up in her civilization. I told her I felt sorry for her, she really needed to slow down and enjoy life as it is…

There is a nip in the air this morning, and some of the leaves are changing colors. The moon will soon be full and we will hunt. It will be time to leave the trees and prepare our winter nests in the caves. After the meat has been smoked and the deep snows come, we will have much time to think, and tell our tales around the fire…