Step 6
REFLECT : The Scent of Change Come Through Sage to Meet Me

"I was not able to tell what I was learning, only what I had learned-- too long before to be true. . .a girl's voice telling the story, the burnt ozone scent of change come through sage to meet me. . ." 

Kim Stafford

Some kinds of writing are like marching: you get a driving rhythm and you just keep plugging away to the end. Directions on how to put a bicycle together. A recipe for bread. Other kinds of writing are like a sprint: a memo by the phone to return a call. 

But an essay is like a saunter. You have to wander around a bit, relaxed and alert. You don't know exactly what you are looking for, but you are wide awake and trusting that when you find it, you will recognize it.

When we write good essays, we are often changed by them. We come to understand more clearly what really matters, what we really care about, what things really mean.

Read through the journal entries that you have written. What do all three have in common? If you read the pieces as part of a single essay, what would you guess was the author's theme?  What might tie your various pieces of writing together?

It might be useful at this stage to have others read what you have written. Sometimes talking about things helps them come into focus better.

As you get ideas about what your essay is really about, you may realize that pieces are missing. Maybe you need to go back to the place and look at something. Maybe you need to answer another question about history. Maybe your explorations raised questions that you never found answers for, that you might want to research further now.

Writing Assignment

After talking with other people about the writings you have done so far, write a one-paragraph (100 word) statement of what you feel is the most important thing about your place.

Use that statement to think about what pieces that you have already written that you might want to expand, what pieces you might not use for this essay, and what other sections you may need to write.

At this stage you may want to visit your place again, now that you have a better idea what you are looking for. You may also want to interview your subject again, or talk to someone new. You may have ideas for additional library research.

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