Have you ever wondered how it feels to be a twin? Well, being a twin myself (more precisely, an identical twin), I have to say that one of the most frequent questions I constantly get asked is exactly this one. Honestly, I never have a definite answer as being a twin has both its pros and cons, as does everything else. However, I cannot help but feel “privileged”, to a certain extent, since according to statistics only 1 in 285 human beings is actually an identical twin.
Primarily, in my opinion, the major benefit of having a twin sister (in my case) is nonetheless the fact that you are guaranteed a best friend who will always remain by your side. In fact, recently, an elderly man on the bus stop spontaneously commented about this fact and I have to say, he made me aware of how lucky I am to have her and that I should appreciate her presence even more. I believe that we are the definition of soul mates and that our extreme bond has the ability to last a lifetime. Consequently, many people are impressed that, apart from the fact that we are practically each other’s clones, we actually have a common taste in everything. And yes, just in case you are wondering: we have been in the same class since kindergarten and now that we are in our second year at Junior College, we have the same subjects but only have two classes together (at least). However, having said that, I hope that I did not give you the impression that we have the same subjects as we influenced or pressured each other in some way or another, because I can assure you that that is not the case.
Secondly, which girl would complain about having an alternative wardrobe (as I like to call it) whenever there is some kind of fashion emergency? Well surely not me. Even though this factor is our main area of dispute, thankfully we manage to reach some kind of compromise every time. In addition, we have the opportunity to share reading books, certain beauty products and borrow each other’s notes. However, sharing the same room, the same laptop and, well, the same birthday is not so pleasant at all. I believe that the latter is one of the reasons why most twins feel that they lack individuality and honestly, what annoys me most is when people refer to us as one person, even if most of the time they don’t mean to be offensive. Moreover, something that makes me giggle every time is when people wonder whether we are actually telepathic. I have to admit, having the same thoughts, replying the same answers and asking the same questions is part and parcel of being a twin, however, it is highly unlikely that whenever one is in pain, the other is as well. My advice is to stop watching too much television as this can only lead to one thing – enhancing stereotypes and believing stupidity.
Thirdly, being a twin means that you can fool people any time of the day, any day of the year and not just on April’s fools. For instance, have you ever wished that you had a twin so that they can replace you for a date that you are so not looking forward to, or for a Systems of Knowledge lesson or maybe for a dreadful Saturday night shift? Well, this can be possible, only under one condition- you MUST give something extraordinary in return. In my sister’s case, giving her a plane ticket to Paris could work. Furthermore, in these past two summers we have worked at the same restaurant… and you can imagine how this turned out. Our most common faux pas is when both of us obliviously, ask the same customers if they are ready to order. Needless to say, some of them get very enraged and even after giving them the true reason; the majority of them do not believe you immediately. However speaking from experience, most customers are nice enough, therefore, they joke about it, after having experienced one of the most uncomfortable situations they can possibly think of. When we get lucky, this can even generate more tips as getting served by twins is a novelty idea.
All in all, I hope that I helped you understand twins better and that I gave you an accurate reflection of my life as a twin. However, I think that it is now time to reveal the whole purpose behind this article. The worst case scenario of being a twin is seeing your sister receiving a rose on Valentine’s Day while you don’t. So please, guys, make it a point to avoid this at all costs because trust me, twins have feelings too.
(Actually, to be fair, a cupcake would do as well.)
