Claire

Megan

Erica

11/23/02

Rough Draft

I walked into the garden in the city park and gazed upon a small anthill.  The ants marched along busily and quickly, unaware the pebbles, twigs, flowers, or anything that surrounded them.  They seemed very focused on just following the other ant in front of them and on completing their goal.  All the ants trotted the same path, none daring to be a trailblazer or to defy the will of their queen.  I looked over the park wall, into the bustling street, at the other anthill.  The people rushing to and fro, preoccupied with school, jobs, relationship, wealth, and the opinion of others.  Everyone was too busy to stop and appreciate the simple beauty of the park, to take a few minutes to sit in the shade of a tree and listen to the gentle breeze, and letting the zephyrs purify their soul from the dirt of conformity.  All the people are completely bent upon succeeding in society.  They are even willing to give up bits of their liberty to that society if it means gain.

 Their greed is the bane of their existence.  It is their poison, the noxious drink that slowly kills them overtime.  Those who partake of this concoction are willing to sacrifice their freedom and individuality.  They live so narrow-mindedly like the ants.  Their ambition for achievement and approval of others clouds their appreciation for the greater world. 

I turned back to the ants, pick up a stone, and dropped it on their path.  They went into a frenzy, unable to make clear decisions for themselves, still copying the actions of the ant in front. Their insular insect brains could not grasp the concept of going around the stone.  All they knew is that their unity and conformity had been disturbed and their infinitesimal world was in chaos.  Sadly, humanity has become as such.  Everyone has become greedy.  They know that if others approve of them, they will gain what they desire, and believe that conformity to others will gain such approval.  If they were only to look into nature and themselves to that, instead into others, they would find fulfillment, happiness and peace.  If they were to forget their material wants, they would see a much more