‘Twas the Saturday Before Finals Week

Korrin B.

June 4, 2011 - 8:00 PM

I told myself that I would study all weekend and get everything done that I needed to for next week. I was going to go to the library like a typical student might in this situation. I was going to look at books and eloquently string words together upon my digital page. However, this Saturday taught me that sometimes the best inspiration comes when you least expect. In other words, I never made it to the library. In fact, I never really had an intense study session.

Instead of the original plan, I spent my last Saturday of the quarter sleeping in and then moseying my way to the Saturday Market. It was a gorgeously sunny day in Eugene and the Saturday Market was vibrant with intricate crafts, delicious foods, and the most interesting people you will ever find. I sauntered through the market, stopping to look at some of my favorite booths. I stopped for a bit to listen to some music and have the avocado, tomato, and cheese crepe I have become so fond of. I finished by grabbing some zucchinis and fresh garlic from the farmer's market.

As I was walking back to my car, breathing in the fresh air, I began to think of the Declaration of Independence. Why? Well, because one of my final papers involves analyzing the leadership style of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. I had been assigned Francis Lightfoot Lee.

I had no prior knowledge on Lee before beginning my research, but my initial searches depicted him as quite an introvert. He was a man that worked for the social good, not for personal attributes, and he was noted as being a weak public speaker. Many of Lee's personal traits didn't seem to meet those outlined for your average leader - charismatic, self-confident, extraverted. I smiled as I walked down the sidewalk contemplating Lee's humble role as a leader. As a fellow introvert, he gave me hope. Then I thought of many of the people around me and several of the causes students were fighting for on campus. I was overwhelmed by the beauty in the diversity of leadership and relieved that I would never have to fill the shoes of the stereotypical leader in order to promote positive change in the world.

The words began to formulate in my head and all of a sudden I realized that I had an introduction to my final paper. I had a thesis statement. I had to write this down before I lost the moment of inspiration. I reached my car and all I could find was a small pizza box from a slice I had gotten the night before (I swear I keep a clean car besides this). I quickly scrawled my introduction onto the top of the pizza box and immediately felt a sense of peace. Once I have an introduction, the rest of a paper usually flows quite quickly for me.

And so there you have it - sometimes it is best to skip the library and instead go out into the world and live!