Bathroom Experiments

During secondary school,
a teenager developed
a strong interest
in chemical experiments.

Unfortunately,
many of these experiments
took place
inside the family bathroom.

The experiments were not random.

He was usually attempting
to create, discover,
or test something specific.

The results often included:
small explosions,
burnt surfaces,
strange smells,
and various other outcomes
not fully appreciated
by the parents.

Over time,
the teenager acquired
a family reputation
for dangerous rebellion
and possible bomb-making activities.

He did not spend much time
attempting to correct
this interpretation.

Things stayed this way
for many years.

Later,
while applying
to American universities,
he described the experiments
in admissions essays.

He explained that the experiments
had never been intended
to create destruction.

They had been attempts
to make something work.

What had caused
trouble, disapproval,
and quite a mess at home
was seen quite differently
by the universities:

curiosity, creativity,
and self-directed research.

He was admitted
to several highly respected universities.

The bathroom experiments
had apparently become
some of his
more distinctive
application material.