Zach Bush's essay "And What Could be Said of Saturday's Emergencies?"

"The guy scratches his curly red hair, meeting eyes with me and immediately we both look down."

I think one of the real strengths of this essay is Zach's use of characterization--not only for the people around him during his trip to the ER, but also for himself. This line is a great example of that. Through this one sentence we see that the people around him are curious about his being there with no visible injury, obviously not waiting on anyone, but that no one feels comfortable enough to ask him what he's doing. This line illustrates the tension of both parties--showing that Zach knows everyone is aware of his inability to fit in. This simple observation, which also shows action, portrays all of these things at once. It's strong, compact writing.