Undergraduate / Commonapp- Picking My Eyebrows [16]

Okay, so this is my fourth try at my common app essay because I felt that all of my previous attempts really weren't... me. So here goes. Please be brutally honest!!!!

As I am writing this essay, I am also picking at my eyebrows (note that I say picking, not pulling out; my eyebrows are still intact). My habit may not particularly constructive, but there is something about the feeling of a tiny hair in between my thumb and index finger that I cannot seem to get enough of. It is a rather soothing practice that has gotten me through some stressful times in my life. No matter how many friends and acquaintances come and go, my eyebrows and fingers are always at my disposal. In addition, picking helps me focus on the task at hand. It has definitely helped me get through all nighters, SAT's, and homework, among other things.

As much as I enjoy picking, I feel alone in my odd habit at times. There are no posters that state "If you pick your eyebrows, you are in good company," and my family likes to make fun of me when I am in the middle of a good pick. They cannot comprehend the bliss that my habit brings me, and I do not expect them or anyone else to understand. Nonetheless, I will continue to pick my eyebrows because I do not see any legitimate reason to stop. I have come to embrace this strange quirk of mine despite the naysayers. After all, my habit is one of the few things that is completely and uniquely my own, since, as far as I know, I am the only picker in the world.

If picking has taught me anything, it's that the small, personal things that make each individual unique are the foundation of diversity, not necessarily race or socioeconomic status. When it comes down to it, people are very similar to each other, no matter how much we try to stand out. I consider a group of people to be diverse when each person has distinct peculiarities, ranging from the somewhat normal to the completely strange. I, for example, am an identical twin who knows how to knit, hates beef jerky with a passion, and loves to pick her brows. As much as I appreciate ethnic diversity, I also admire personal variety. Interesting stories transcend societal barriers and make for very exciting friendships and acquaintances. In college, I envision students with radically different backgrounds, oddities, likes, and dislikes coming together and appreciating each other for the little, seemingly insignificant things that make us unique.

If variety be the spice of life, pick on.