If any of you have a sibling out there, you know what it's like to be associated with them in some way shape or form. Your new identity is, "So and so's little/older sibling." You're no longer just you, you're known for being someone else's sibling. Welcome to my everyday life experience since I was born. I'm convinced the only way my parents told us apart was because I was able to go home first. This is #TwinTalk, where every so often, I'll talk about the pains and the joys of being a twin.
For those of you who have been following me since the beginning, you would know that I have already introduced Odyssey to Mercedes and vice versa. But the one thing I have yet to talk about, and I mean really talk about is just a simple overview of being a twin. Someone out there once said something along the lines of - someone's got to do it. A true grit statement if you will. (Any John Wayne fans out there?) Anyway, that's what being a twin is, not everyone would choose to be a twin, but someone has to be a twin.
By no means am I suggested being a twin is awful, I am saying; however, that those who wish twinhood upon themselves have no idea what they're getting into. I am convinced that ever since my mother discovered she was having twins, she bought a lifetime of embarrassing matching outfits to last a lifetime. Cute as a 5-year-old? Heck yea. As a 10-year-old? Heck no.
It was around that time when I really wanted to be Mary. Not someone's twin. Not just a sibling. I wanted to be Mary. It seemed a lot easier than being automatically intertwined with another person. Yet somehow I still want to get married - that's a topic for another day, but really, how twisted is that? I finally discover how badass I can be on my own and then I decide marriage is a good idea? Although, they do say two is better than one, right mom?
After this epiphany, I tried becoming Mary, which always failed because Mercedes was a lot cooler than me. I just never found my calling until yearbook - which again, is a story for another time. It was this constant struggle of being Mary and Mercedes' sister. Two completely different people. You would think this would have driven me out of my house as soon as possible, but this was not the case. I always knew I was going to college, and I figured Mercedes and I wouldn't end up at the same college, but that thought was a lot different than the reality. So yes, while gaining a unique identity has been wonderful, not having my twin has been the exact opposite. You're constantly stuck in this neverending game of tug of war, where your twin is on one end and your identity is on the other and sometimes these battles end in a stalemate.
So for those who ask me, "Do you like having a twin?" I have many sassy, sarcastic answers for you, but today here's my answer: