Black Ink

I am so bad at following directions. I applied to two schools for graduate school (both applications are done now - yay!!!). For the first application, about a week after I sent it, I realized that I had forgotten to include a check for the application fee. I called the school and explained that I have forgotten the check, and the woman over the phone responds, "I guess you didn't follow the checklist on the front of the application envelope." I kind of stammered back to her something to the effect of, "Yeah, I guess not." Okay, so following the checklist would have been a good idea, but obviously, too late for that. Check sent off under separate cover, just a little inconvenience, no problem, right? I was finishing up my second application yesterday, preparing it to be sent away, out of my hands, and taking a big load off my shoulders. I was writing out the check for the application fee (not going to make that mistake again), when I glance at the application and notice that it says across the top, in big, bold, black letters: "PLEASE TYPE OR WRITE ALL INFORMATION IN BLACK INK."

Oops. You would think that this wouldn't pose much of a problem. But for me, it is. I have this philosophy that using blue or black ink for writing anything is boring. So I don't, unless I absolutely have to. Every semester, my treat for the beginning of school is going to Target or Office Depot and picking out an assortment of different colored pens - pink, green, purple, gold and silver. Scented, sparkly, with feathers or flowers on top. Anything pretty and fun, absolutely no boring blue or black.

My professors have gotten used to this quirk of mine and have never had a problem with it.

Now, I understand that there are some things that are fairly official and professional that you just can't write out in sparkly gold pen. And in those circumstances, I usually choose blue ink, and some kind of special pen, not some Bic cheapo thing.

I knew that my applications required something a bit serious, so I had chosen a very special blue pen that a friend of mine had brought me from Israel. It has my name in Hebrew on it, and it is one of the few pens that I like, regardless of it's boring ink color.

As I stared at the instructions requiring me to fill out my application in black ink, I panicked a bit. I couldn't find a black pen. Any other color, no problem. I finally called a friend who brought me a nice black pen. I rewrote my entire application. Sent it off this morning. All done.

But really, now I am not sure I want to go to a school that required black ink. Don't they have any creativity or imagination?