Modern industrial society has, until now, done a great job meeting our physical needs. It hasn't done as well at providing long-term emotional satisfaction, and maybe this is not entirely accidental. When it comes to fulfilling our spiritual needs, modern industrial society is essentially impotent. There is no sense of connection, not even to nature. I now realize that this is why I went to the woods. I was driven by the desire to find a more emotionally satisfying and spiritually fulfilling way of life. I wanted to spend less time pursuing material goods, to spend more time simply enjoying life, and to create a balance between the physical and spiritual aspects of my existence. I consider myself very fortunate to have found what I was looking for, even though I had to leave it behind. But, I also took something with me when I left: a vision of what the future could be like. We, as a species, are approaching the proverbial fork in the road. Will we continue to pursue the practice of conspicuous consumption, with the ever-increasing problems this will cause, or are we ready to find a way to live that is sustainable, that is based on the appreciation of all things beautiful, including life itself?