During the Christmas holidays,  I was asked by a niece to review her college applications.  Such pressure on young people!

 I was reminded of our youngest daughter’s application process many years ago.  After much thought, she wrote an essay that could be tweaked with a sentence or two and it then worked for each of the colleges to which she applied. 

When this child was six, we purchased a motel and an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town and pioneered the Bed and Breakfast concept in Saratoga Springs.  To our surprise youngest daughter chose as her college application essay topic, How My Character was Affected or Developed by being Raised in a Bed and Breakfast. 

Youngest daughter wrote that if a car pulled in the yard with Michigan plates, she knew that they would never share a bathroom.  If a car with Canadian plates came in, they would choose the least expensive room.  If people got out of their car all dressed in black, she knew they were from New York City and that they would not eat eggs for breakfast but would all try to smoke in their rooms.

 Now all these years later, there are very few B & B’s that ask you to share a bath, the Canadian dollar is worth more than the US dollar and youngest daughter did not choose a career in the hospitality industry.