I love you, white board. I love how blank you are at first, inviting me, almost challenging me, to deface it with a problem that you can’t solve. I love hearing the click when I remove the cap of the expo marker and stick it to the end. I love the feel of the dry-erase tip as I invest my entire body in sweeping motions to plant words and pictures on the board. Yes, I even love you enough to bear that signature smell of dry-erase.

I love switching colors! Writing new ideas in purple, pink, and teal! I love how when I am sidetracked, I can section part of you off for doodling. Before I know it, I have my entire masterpiece on a simple slab of whiteboard. Yes, you’ve done it once again; you’ve amazed me with your ability to turn any puzzle into clarity, to turn writer’s block into inspiration.

I love how I can hang you in the hallway, empty; and by the end of the week, you are full with new creations contributed by my neighbors. I love how I can hang you on my door, leaving you to deal with unwelcome guests by telling them, “I’m not here”; or how I can trust you to pass the message “Be right back!” to my friends. You’ve always been there for me in the middle of the night through the papers and the problem sets. You probably know more about organic chemistry and physics than I do.

I love how when I erase, I can still see ghosts of the remnants of my writing. I love how when I erase, I get to do that all over again.

How to make the best use of your whiteboard:

• Get one. duh
• Hang it in a convenient location. If you can’t see or reach it, you won’t use it.
• Invest in multiple colored markers. You can organize your thoughts, and at the least it makes your writing look prettier.
• Buy multiple whiteboards of varying sizes. Use one on your dorm door to leave messages for others, or let them leave messages for you. Use a large one to solve extensive problems (you can keep this in the closet and take it out on those nights before problem sets are due). Hang a medium size one on top of your desk to remind you about important deadlines, goals, or just to have a good quote to start your day.
• Most inventive use of a whiteboard I’ve ever seen? Someone living in my house lived on the first floor with a window next to the bike rack. Every morning when I went to unlock my bike, their whiteboard was propped against the window with a funny fact or quote.
• My whiteboard fantasy? To cover an entire room with whiteboard, even the floor and ceiling.