The Cons to Twinning

Grace Kilroy, Staff Writer

“Oh my god, I wish I had a twin!” Being a twin, that’s one of the most common phrases I hear. My immediate response is a joking, lighthearted “No, you don’t.” Of course I say this with some sarcasm, but occasionally any twin can relate to my response.

Growing up a twin, I always had a friend to turn to. My sister and I were always together, constantly around each other, barely apart. As a little kid it was reassuring to always have a playmate who doubled as my partner in crime. When I needed someone to play dolls with me or boost me up on a tree limb I didn’t have far to look. However, as we grew up, being a twin started to seem not-so-convenient.

Regardless of what people say, no one loves to share. Any sibling knows it gets irritating to share with brothers or sisters. However, if you and your siblings are different ages, chances are you don’t have to share all the time. Being a twin, you constantly have to share. Sometimes, you don’t even know you’re sharing.

I’ve come home to see my closet door wide open, hangers sans clothes swinging sadly, my favorite shirt mysteriously missing. Walking into my twin’s room, I find that shirt thrown onto her bed, crumpled and unreturned. That’s one of the hardest parts of being a twin: since we’re “equals” in age, we tend to do whatever we want, since there’s no seniority, no easy way to determine hierarchy.

I not only share clothing with my twin, but a laptop, a car, and friends. We take some of the same classes: AP Economics, for example. We both had a presentation to make one time, and both of us needed the computer. Being twins often means we need the same thing at the same time. That is a one-way ticket to a fight. Siblings fight, yes, but often twins fight more frequently. Of course there are those miracle siblings who never fight and get along perfectly, but it’s hard to see that happening with twins, just because they’re so often around each other.

If I try to get away by, say, using the shared car, chances are my twin will miraculously want the car at the same time. So, we have to first determine who will get to drive where and when; and then we have to bicker about who is going to make the gas payment this time. Once one fight happens, it’s hard to get away long enough to cool down, especially if I’m going to see my friends later, because, remember, my friends are her friends too.

Being twins, my sister and I share the same friend group. Yes, it’s cool getting to see my friends and my sister at the same time, but if I’ve just fought with my sister I don’t necessarily want to see her right away. If she makes plans with our friends, obviously I want to join, but the majority of the time, our anger towards each other carries over into time with friends and we have to work not to fight in front of them.

Yes, it’s great to always have a familiar face around in many situations, but it’s not all perfect being a twin. Think about a brother, sister, family member, etc. that you see often. Now, think about basically being attached at the hip with them. It’s great to see them a lot of the time, and you’ll always appreciate them, but never being able to get away, especially after a disagreement, makes for some difficulty.

I’m lucky to have a twin and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but seriously, it’s not as perfect as everyone seems to believe.