One of the most common questions I get asked is, "What's it like to be a twin?"
For one thing, I was born that way. I only found out it was different or important because other people kept telling me.
This is in part because we are not identical twins, we're fraternal. You know, separate eggs; we just happened to be on the same maternal bus at the same time. We don't look more alike than anyone else in the family. Our only other sibling, our sister, is eighteen months older, which made us more like triplets. And then there's our slightly younger male cousin who grew up alongside us and made us a fearsome foursome. My sister and I were often 'the girls' vs. my brother and cousin, 'the boys'; so my identity was shaped as much by being one of 'the girls' as by being part of 'the twins'.
The only annoying thing about being a twin is when my brother and I meet someone not visibly visually-impaired and they say, "Twins, eh? Are you identical?"
Which is like when someone with a name like Lucy Bainbridge or Scott Smith sends me an email beginning with "Hi Andren," as though 'Andren' is a more likely first name than 'Rachel'. Really? Really?
So we reply, straight-faced and in unison, with the only possible answer: "Yes. We're identical."
Which brings me to my next point. As far as I can tell, at this point in life being a twin consists largely of having an arsenal of terrible inside jokes that only twins appreciate:
"You guys are twins?"
"No, he's a placenta."
"How do you guys know each other?"
"Ex-wombmates."
"Which one of you is older?"
"She is. I kicked her *ss out."
Being a twin can be fun, if only because other people make a bigger deal out of it than we do. It's true that my brother and I share special connection. Maybe it's because we were born together. Maybe it's because he's a wonderful brother. Hard to tell. We're not telepathic, we don't have a secret language, but we do look out for each other. We do make that effort to be that person's support. But you don't need to be a twin to do that.
**If any reader has any more terrible twin jokes please share... and our friends and family will thank you.
* Photo above: http://www.etsy.com/listing/59181628/funny-evil-twin-set-of-2-onesies-great
I don't think the word Twin is correctly understood in our society. It means literaly to be conceived at the same time and can mean in itself to be identical or similar in nature.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the Identical Twin issue- 99.9% of ID twins are of same sex... but there is possibility that can diverge.. Can you look differently from someone and still be an Identical twin? why yes... you can. ID Twins share the same DNA, but they are not Xerox or carbon copies of each other, and that can make all the difference! Thus, in theory, due to environmental, physical, and social experiences, it is possible to be an identical twin and not look.. identical. though knowing you and you brother well, it is funny someone should ask that... you don't look alike enough to be even born at the exact same time, so 'identical' is a stretch
the final point- to add to your jokes and comments when asked if your are Identical in the future- Look blankly at them and say- Actually no- Siamese Twins? That should confuse the bejezzus out of most and have them giving you sidelong glances at you for scarring whenever you are in a swim suit...
Haha we might just do that. =)
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