the far corners

My English final paper:

A rain drop falling into a puddle or a rock thrown into a pond gives us a fascinating collection of circles. The Sun and Moon rise and set as circles in our sky. Circles devastate us in the form of tornadoes and hurricanes as well as bring us beauty in the form of daisies, dandelions, and dahlias. They are subtle yet they surround us.

There is no way around it; the circle is the most captivating, the most crucial of all things. However, in order to properly circumstantiate the importance of the circle, we must consider what a circle is and what a circle is not.

Algebraically, a circle is the set of all points equally distant from a given point. Geometrically, a circle is the cross-sectional area produced by the intersection of a cone and a plane parallel to the base of the cone. A circle can be defined any number of ways and every accurate definition will reveal that circles do not exist. Realistically, a true circle is merely a concept. We cannot restrict ourselves to a concept; the value of the circle lies in the shape.

Circles are everything; they are nothing. The circle represents the value of false in the binary number system and, in many languages, the circle assumed the role of the zero digit when zero became widely accepted as a number. It has survived as a letter in most Germanic and Romance languages, including English. Linguistically, it is possible for us to come full circle, go around in circles, square the circle, and circle the wagons. One can circulate, circumnavigate, circumscribe, circumvent, or even be circumcised.

In any circumstance, circles are central in our everyday lives, from the turn of a phrase to the turn of a wheel. We keep time on clocks and commit ourselves to marry with rings. We calculate the digits of pi; we bake pie. We shop with coins and shop for tires. Circles save lives as aquatic life rings. They are Life Savers. In the circle of life, the Circle is life.