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Excerpt of PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK (PAGES 92-93) By Annie Dillard ---- Trees stir memories; live waters heal them. The creek is the mediator, benevolent, impartial, subsuming my shabbiest evils and dissolving them, transforming them into live moles, and shiners, and sycamore leaves. It is a place even my faithlessness hasn’t offended; it still flashes for me, now and tomorrow, that intricate, innocent face. It waters an undeserving world, saturating cells with lodes of light. I stand by the creek over rock under trees. It is sheer coincidence that my hunk of the creek is strewn with boulders. I never merited this grace, that when I face upstream I scent the virgin breath of mountains, I feel a spray of mist on my cheeks and lips, I hear a ceaseless splash and susurrus, a sound of water not merely poured smoothly down air to fill a steady pool, but tumbling live about, over, under, around, between, through an intricate speckling of rock. It is sheer coincidence that upstream from me the creek’s bed is ridged in horizontal croppings of sandstone. I never merited this grace, that when I face upstream I see the light on the water careening towards me, inevitably, freely, down a graded series of terraces like the balanced winged platforms on an infinite, inexhaustible font. “Ho, if you are thirsty, come down to the water; ho, if you are hungry, come and sit and eat.” This is the present, at last. I can pat the puppy any time I want. This is the now, this flickering, broken light, this air that the wind of the future presses down my throat, pumping me buoyant and giddy with praise. My God, I look at the creek. It is the answer to Merton’s prayer, “Give us time!” It never stops. If I seek the senses and skill of children, the information of a thousand books, the innocence of puppies, even the insights of my own city past, I do so only, solely, and entirely that I might look well at the creek. --- ESSAY In the 1970s, when the sensational and spiritual were sought after, descriptions of senses, smells, feelings, and reconciling them with the psyche would be well understood by such a sensitive audience. In Dillard’s imaginative account, she invokes imagery, allusion, personification, and repetition to bring about a new, spiritual kind of environmental awareness to conservative and liberal audiences alike. Dillard uses imagery to make her audience feel as if they were present during her adventures. She describes the water’s playful liveliness as it descends the mountainside. She also draws comparison to still water and flowing water, with a fondness for the freedom flowing water makes her feel; able to express herself “anytime [she] want[s]”. This draws upon the theme that nature does more than just look pretty. It engages the senses and alleviates the mind. Dillard demonstrates the ability to engage the senses of her readers. Readers who may not have experienced the sublimity of nature. Dillard alludes to religion, quite directly quoting the Holy Scriptures, yet she alludes to previous experiences and revelations in her book. She mentions the pup she enjoyed petting, recalling her pursuit of innocence. The sees the never-ending rush of the creek. She recalls Merton’s revision of the Lord’s prayer allowing for her interpretation of God’s reply: time never ends, harness it through living in the present. Dillard’s points and themes build off each other, qualifying and giving new meaning to her previous breakthroughs. This rhetorical device makes it possible for her audience to find answers to her unanswered questions, through her experiences. It also concisely keeps the book relevant to her experiences without drifting to philosophical extremities. It affirms that connection to nature helps her find answers to personal questions. Dillard’s use of personification enlivens her account. It also implicitly indicates her perception of nature. Even non-living entities such as bodies of water, trees, and mountains, she gives elevated standing among humanity. The mountains breathe, the trees remember, the waters “heal”. They are as balm to her soul. Personification helps the reader see the environment as a powerful and personal entity rather than a detached obstacle to industry. So as the reader digests emotive language, and reasons the natural world as a network of life, they can further empathize with environmental preservation. Dillard uses repetition to emphasize the religious aspect of praise and song. Through repetition, she acknowledges her unworthiness for life’s small gifts (“I never merited this grace”). With the format of a hymn refrain, it reminisces of worship. It reminds readers of the spiritual theme throughout her excursions. Most Americans in the 70s were a silent conservative group that upheld traditional Christian beliefs and way of life. These religious correlations appealed to her readers through like-mindedness. This further connected her with her readers, allowing for greater confidence. She illustrates an act of unconventional worship that may go deeper in meaning and thought than the traditional worship services in American churches.

I envision myself as a judge, advocating for order in a degrading society, a society losing its sense of ethics.

It’s 5:45 AM. Lunch in hand. Bus in sight. "Be a leader. Not a follower," Mom would say before kissing her goodbyes. It left me scratching my head and reflecting well into my 30-minute bus ride. I pondered this well into my 7-period school day. I still think about it four years later. What is true leadership? Authority? There are countless people with authority over me. Parents. Teachers. Coaches. Elders. The President. Yet, some people with authority abuse it for selfish gain. True leadership could have nothing to do with established authority. A true leader demands character. In the book Caste, Isabel Wilkerson compares leadership to an Alpha in a wolf pack. They do not need to exert dominance or overpower the other canines. They have sufficient self-confidence to silently lead. This analogy has helped me in my understanding of leadership. It helped end the pursuit to become the leader and instead helped me refocus on leading by my quiet example. Instead of imposing my "guidance" on people who won’t listen, it is better to continually better oneself and one’s abilities and let that speak for itself. I like to lead by example and confide in my abilities, guiding those who seek instruction. There are those constantly fighting for dominance and authority. I realized that the aggressors, coercers, and manipulators of this day and age, are also some of the most insecure. Leadership only comes to those who work on their character. Experience, patience, and self-control go a long way. My mom's definition of leadership, back then, was to not become influenced by my worldly, seventh-grade peers, specifically which children to avoid. “Lead! Don't Follow!” was her mantra. While grossly oversimplified, there is some truth in it. I am not an isolationist, but I do believe we should choose who we are influenced by. Leadership comes from within, but it is also inspired by those closest to us. Whether it be God (who appoints leaders), a parent, a mentor, a close friend, or all of the above. Leaders rely on people that both encourage or give needed correction. A leader must listen and put others' needs before themselves. Humility is not an undervaluing of oneself, but a recognition of another person's value. The greatest example of a servant-leader is Christ. A leader without pomp, or self-righteousness, who looked upon everyone with love and compassion. He is still recognized for it, two thousand years later. Other notable historical figures like Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Nero, all leave a bitter-sweet legacy fueled by greed. They established kingdoms and led their followers at the expense of human life. All in vain, their hoarded wealth was stored for others. Their dynasties are no more. Their empires, torn from them. Only a legacy of blood remains. Sadly, humanity has not learned this lesson. Servant leadership is the only way to effectively lead. It drives compassion for the less fortunate, for the overlooked, the destitute. Just as evil in the world is contagious, kindness can be imprinted on others. Seeing the worth in someone changes the way they see themselves and changes their outlook. I try to find the opportunity to help others in any way I can. I want to lead others to growth, to self-esteem, to love, through a good example. I have younger sisters, younger children I teach in Sunday school, younger kids in my youth group, people I serve on my annual mission trips. Each looks up to me in some form. Each has value. It's my job to help them recognize their God-given value.