I have been in the same place for years upon years. People have gone up and down my shores, across and any other way you can think. There have been losses, so many losses. Yet each time a ship goes by, for some reason I want to help. I teach the sailors who travel my waters. I show them how to navigate the currents, point out what to take as a warning or a promise of a safe night. I guide them until they no longer need me. Once that day comes, the men no longer see me for who I am. The sailors no longer look at me with respect; all they see is another tool. I try to move on and forget too, but the pain of their betrayal always remains. Yet, one boy will remain with me forever. This boy grew into a man, while traveling along me. I helped him grow and learn, but sadly he was no different then the others. While it hurts to remember him, he taught me one of the toughest lessons I have learned in my life. He showed me that when you gain one thing, you must sacrifice another.
Now as you can imagine, staying in one place for years can drive a river insane. I do take trips into the
So one day while minding my own business, I see these humans traveling up and down me. I always wonder what they are doing. One time, I decided to follow this one boat, to see what they were doing. Following them was no more fun then watching them, all they did was swap things with other people. I was still constantly bored, until I finally found a way to pass the time.
Now whenever I am bored I love to play with the boats. For years have been growing reefs all along me. Sometimes I am lucky and get an unskilled sailor, and he crashes into the reef. It completely destroys the boat, and sends the men into a frenzy. Sometimes I can talk Wind into helping me with my mischief. Wind makes the water appear to be hiding a reef when it really isn’t. Poor uneducated sailors try to avoid the reefs and go all over the place. After a while, the tricks got to be boring, and that was when I decided to take the men under my wing, and teach them the right way to navigate my waters. That is when I met this boy, who I continued to watch for years.
When he was still young and learning under another of my pupils, the way he looked at me was amazing. No matter what kind of day I had had, he made me feel beautiful and graceful too. I would try my best to be beautiful for him. I would shimmer in the sun and moonlight, just to have him look at me. He saw me for who I was, and loved me because of it. Well, one day he was controlling the ship all on his own and he got tricked by one of the wind reefs, Wind and I had made. He turned that ship in so many different directions, it was unbelievable. He started too steered towards the banks, and was yelling for help. He provided lots of excitement for us that day. That was when I decided to take him on too, and teach him more about myself.
From then on, he only improved. He could navigate my waters like a professional, and read all the clues I threw his way. However, he soon began to look at me with less and less reverence and respect. Until that day came when he no longer needed me, from then on I was no longer beautiful, but another tool. That was the most devastating day I have gone through in years. The boy was one of my favorites, but he turned out to be just like the others. He only used me for the information I gave him, no longer was I special.
I allowed myself to be read, I spoke to him, told him all my secrets. Like everyone before him, he turned from me. I can’t figure out why I continue to open myself up to sailors. I continue to give each of them a piece of my soul, even when I know they will eventually just use me. It must be in my water, but it helps to know that he suffers a loss too. While he may be able to use me for my knowledge, never again will he be able to see the simple beauty of a river.
Twain, Mark. "Learning the River.” The Norton Sampler. 6.
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