"I've started on my common app essay for the fourth prompt, but I have only gotten as far as the introduction. It seems good to me, but I don't want to continue with it if it is not good. I will take any comment or criticism."
Thanks.
ODD ONES
The life of a night owl is a lonely one indeed. Locked in an eternal battle with insomnia, I lie awake in my bed, ever aware of all sounds travelling through my old home. Each night, these sounds are inexplicably amplified into a dreadful cacophony of noise; I can only wonder what malevolent forces lurk in my sock drawer. As I cower beneath my blankets, relying on their ghost-repelling powers, I turn to one role model for courage. Yet, I do not call upon the Herculean bravery of ancient Greek heroes to combat my irrational fears; nor do I look to the courage of faithful Biblical characters for inspiration. No, I am proud to say that I draw my power from a much humbler source: a small diner located in the California town of Pico Mundo to be exact. There, the bravest man I know cooks the most heavenly flapjacks while reluctantly serving as confidant for the dead. This extraordinary yet humble man is known befittingly as Odd Thomas.
Born from the creative mind of horror author Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas does not initially come across as a symbol of courage. This unambitious man lives a simple life, never changing his clothing style nor going outside his small town. However, if we delve deeper into the mind of this "odd" character, we find a weary man plagued by constant visions of the dead. Many would see this as a gift, but to Odd, it is a curse that has brought him immense and pain. The unending physical and emotional trauma he suffers due to his ability would cause even the ablest man to breakdown and lose his sanity. Yet Odd strives on, forever dedicated to helping the dead find peace in this mortal realm.
Even from the start of the first novel, I was immediately drawn to this California clairvoyant. For most of his life, Odd has consistently faced supernatural horrors and perilous situations that I could barely comprehend; I began to respect him as a man of true grit and dedication. Yet his frequent use of wit and sarcasm to offset the dark nature of his work still manages to portray him to me as a lovable character. Soon, I began to see many of Odd's admirable qualities reflected in my own in life. My burning desire to help others, whether it is tutoring classmates through my school's honor society program or simply being a role model for students in my volunteer science lab work, has greatly been influenced by Odd's altruistic attitude to the dead. Still, I believe his exceptionally sharp wit is arguably the more apparent influence in my life; it was not long before I adopted his method of using sarcasm to offset a potentially bleak or awkward situation.
Despite our many similar traits, the one distinction that stands out between Odd Thomas and me is his astounding bravery. While Odd faces supernatural perils every day, I jump at every single irrelevant noise passing through my home; I cannot help but feel inadequate when I compare myself to him. Yet, I myself strive on, forever dedicated to altering my life for the better, in hopes to be more like my psychic role model. Still, who knows? Maybe those soft whispers and creaks I hear at night are actually the voices of more restless spirits, waiting for me to become their own brave, benevolent, and eternally witty Odd Thomas.
