I was walking to the to the train one morning when I saw one of the small trees on my block and had an epiphany. This small tree was just standing there among the other small trees on my block but this one was different, it had a few leaves. The tree stood out because despite it being winter and every other tree on my  block being completely bare it refused to abandon its leaves. The 4 small green leaves stuck to this small tree fighting against winter valiantly while no matter the size all the other trees were bare or had brown hanging leaves that seemed to just be waiting for the word of the wind to be knocked off the tree and blown somewhere far away. The tree seemed to embody the nature of New Yorkers, fighting resiliently with all its might against all the natural laws striving to control the tree and its future and destiny. People, and more specifically New Yorkers, are stubborn and much like the tree no matter how grim the future or how undeterminable it may be won’t give up. They will fight to the end of their strength to keep their dreams, the leaves, alive no matter how impossible the odds are. Each and every person in the city has their own goals and they pursue their goals with the same unyielding persistence that the tree showed in its refusal to lose its green leaves, its last vestiges of warmer weather. It doesn’t matter if everyone else thinks its impossible, it doesn’t matter that every other tree on the block is bare, it doesn’t matter if every other tree on the planet is bare, that is determination, that is an indomitable will. And that is the type of will that is present in the people of New York; we are stubborn and no matter how many times we fail we believe that if we keep trying and try hard enough we can achieve our seemingly impossible goals.

However, the cruel truth of life is shown in this photo as well, even if everyone tries their hardest and puts everything on the line some dreams, some goals just can’t be. As much as the tree may wish the hold onto its green leaves forever as the cold comes it will eventually lose its energy and the leaves will not be able to survive. No matter how much some people struggle or how fiercely they fight they will fail and their dreams will be crushed. Take snow for example, a snowflake may yearn with every fiber of its existence to sit near a fire or exist in warmer weather but no matter how cold the snow is, even if it’s ice, it will melt and cease to be. Dreams and wishes are amazing because they allow people to fight harder then they could imagine but although some people, much like the tree, will succeed and hold on to their leaves a little longer, how long can it possible last. The lucky few much like evergreen trees may be able to have their dreams come true but the rest will just fight to hold on a little longer, and then perish and fade away. The truth of the matter is that some people can fight their whole lives and be nothing more than one of the empty trees on the block. That is the cruelty of nature expressed in the city. While many suffer the same rules apply though, some will succeed and stand at the very top with their dreams coming true. This is the embodiment of nature in the city, the few who rise above the rest inspire everybody with their hard work and push people to strive toward their goals so that they can grasp at and maybe reach what is currently impossible for them. It is like one of the lines in the famous poem Do not go gentle into that good night written by Dylan Thomas, Do not go gentle into that good night./Rage, rage against the dying of the light.