In her memoir An American Childhood, Annie Dillard shows how even the smallest experiences can have a huge impact on a person’s life. Let’s look at a few examples.

Even when Annie is a very small child, she is affected by her experiences. For a long time, she is frightened by a “monster” in her bedroom, but she then realizes that this is just a shadow thrown by car lights. This minor experience reveals something important, however. Annie learns that she has an imagination that she can use, an imagination that can either overpower her or by directed by her. She begins to discover how to control her imagination and conquer her fear.

Annie enjoys playing with the neighborhood children, but one day, a driver gets out of a car and chases the children. In her fear, Annie makes another discovery. There is a world beyond herself, and not everyone in it is friendly or kind.

As Annie grows older, she begins attending dancing school on Friday nights. Those invited all come from the same upper-level social class and the Presbyterian church. Annie enjoys the dancing school, but the experience makes her wonder why some people are chosen and others excluded. She personally still plays with her neighborhood friends, and those experiences teach her about different classes of people and how much they are alike.

Annie learns another important lesson when she receives a microscope for Christmas. She is fascinated by the slides and all that she can see, and she runs to tell her parents all about it. They are not enthusiastic. Annie discovers that she must value knowledge for itself and because it belongs to her, even if no one else appreciates it.

These examples, then, reveal how much people can learn from even the smallest experiences in their lives.