<p>I’ve seen excellent essays about all sorts of common things–for example: procrastination, playing a musical instrument, wanting to be a writer, losing weight, moving in to a new school. </p>
<p>A stellar essay in a well-plowed field stands out all the more for being surprisingly enlightening.</p>
<p>I don’t think that one should try to find common experiences, or try to find uncommon experiences. I think one should search for the topic, common or uncommon, that offers one the best chance to be personal, honest, specific, revealing, and, ideally, enlightening.</p>