I absolutely refuse to use pencil. It's grey. Scratchy. Dull. And above all, it's one of the worst metaphors in human history.

Everyone makes mistakes. The problem is that you can't just go back and pretend like they never happened. And because I'm a strong believer in reflecting my persona through my actions, I refuse to use pencil. I don't like the idea of having something I've worked on erased (literally and figuratively). Pencil is too practical for someone like me, someone who likes to experiment and stand out.

Just the thought of being plain scares me. It's not that I look down on plain people, but that I feel more alive when I have a bit of spice to what I'm doing. Writing with pen gives me that- it can manifest itself professionally, but at the same time, give a unique look to my writing. When writing applications, I usually opt for a dark purple pen, or a dark green pen. It's so I can stand out in application processes where I'm competing for a spot with a million other people.

I've gotten personal feedback on my applications- calling me 'unique' because the color made me stand out. I'd say it's a smart thing to do, but I'd watch out before you become over-enthusiastic with penning your applications. I use darker colors because they come across as more professional- using bright pinks and oranges wouldn't be smart because they convey immaturity and lack of seriousness. Save those colors for your diary.

I get that sometimes life requires you to use a pencil. Take math tests for example. Every time I took a math test in pen, the teacher would make me retake the test in pencil. The great thing about this was that I could go home and study up before coming to school the next day, and pretend to be shocked as she asks me to retake the test after school. So yeah, sometimes you're forced to use pencil.

In all seriousness, I only did that once. But in my opinion, if that were a metaphor, it would represent the fear we have or not being able to fix our mistakes.I think we should apply my pen philosophy to life and accept the mistakes as we make them.