You Wrote WHAT????

Perhaps you’re familiar with the college application process, either for yourself or for a family member. It’s actually quite tedious and it’s not cheap.


When my son, Tree, was at that stage, he applied to several schools, even though this meant loads of paperwork.
For Tree, the process took place well over a dozen years ago. Even so, there’s one of those application forms I’ll never forget.

Now, bear in mind: the cost was $35 to $100 per submission, depending on the school, so this was serious business.


On this one particular application booklet, there were a few pages of background and rather mundane questions. Then there was a page that was almost blank. At the top were instructions to choose a topic for a one-page essay.


When Tree finished with the form, that page remained almost blank. Under the instructions, he had written the word “pickles.”
That’s all. Nothing else. Nada. Just “pickles.”

When I asked him what in the blue blazes he was doing, he explained, “Mom, it doesn’t say to write a one-page essay. It just says to choose a topic for a one-page essay.”

And that’s the way this application form - with an almost blank page - remained as he mailed it to the college admissions office.
His future, my money – and he wrote “pickles.”