Assignment 22- Kristin

As you may or may not know, I am a twin.  Yes, my brother the older twin.  No, we are not identical.  I predict that your next question is most likely "What's it like to have a twin?", and I'm sorry to say that I cannot give you a satisfactory answer.  I do not know what it's like to not have a twin to compare, so to me, having a twin is normal.  I guess not everyone has to share a birthday with their sibling, and not everyone's families will pay two college tuitions at once, but that is just a part of my life.

Having a twin means that equality is an essential part of your relationship with your sibling.  When we were little, our parents would be sure to spend the same amount of time, money, and effort on each of us, because with two kids the same age, there's none of the older sibling priorities (despite how often he says that he's older) or the baby-of-the-family privileges (I promise I have never tried to pull the baby card).  We've grown up making sure that we get equal turns in games, chores, and anything else you could possibly imagine.  It stresses us out that we don't drive the same amount of times a week. 

I believe this affected my view of the world, because as a child, I could never comprehend why people didn't get the same opportunities.  While I saw my brother as my first friend and first teammate, he was also my first competition.  It was important that we were given the same shot, and when I saw that not everyone was given that privilege, if baffled me.  It makes me sad to this day that some people are treated unequally, and I believe that growing up with a twin has made me this way.

Having a twin also means that we have what many people call the "twin connection."  I don't know how scientifically possible it is, but I do believe that my brother and I have some sort of bond between our brains.  Now, we can't actually read each other's minds (although that would be really cool), but we do often have similar thoughts at the same time, and although we don't agree on everything (or anything, really), we do regularly find ourselves on the same wavelength.  This most likely came about through being raised together in the same environment and through the same experiences.  After almost seventeen years together, I have become good at reading my brother, and I know that he's just as good at reading me.

This skill has made me talented at reading other people, too.  I have surprised myself at how often I have guessed how people are feeling and who other people like or don't like.  If I know a person well enough, I can typically comprehend glances from them, and I can usually recreate their body language and facial expressions.  However, people-reading extends beyond those I know.  One of my favorite activities is people-watching; I love to observe humans in their natural habitats, and I like guessing what they're going to do or say.  Spending much of my life studying and spending time with one person has influenced my interest and ability in this (although, you never know; me and my brother could just have telekinesis).