It is no coincidence, I think, that the last two pulses of media input I have received have been: 1) a story on NPR paying homage to the Halloween season which described the scientifically authenticated phenomenon of being scared to death, and 2) an email from the college counseling department chair at Grace’s high school advising us that the looming November 1 application deadline might get thoroughly bungled if “Frankenstorm” takes out the power on the Eastern Seaboard! I hope Grace hasn’t seen the email yet. I might actually give her a drink just to settle her nerves.
So, now we are forewarned, which is supposed to be forearmed; and I’m sure that Grace will double down this weekend to beat the storm. But the prospect of the weather crippling the grid, which in turn will thwart our kids in the near-sacred ritual of hitting “send” on those early applications, is cause for terror. The torrent of what-ifs will hit these kids with gale force.
This application season is dramatic enough. We don’t really need the “perfect storm” to whip frenzy. But, as they say, you can’t control Mother Nature. So, my word to the wise: Finish up that proof-reading, double check the application, and send it in early. You never know what the college admissions officers will do if you don’t submit on time, hurricane or not.
