Of almost four million children born in 1997, only one hundred thousand were twins. The chance of being a twin seventeen years ago was less than three percent, but on March 22nd, I overcame those odds as I was born twelve minutes behind my identical twin brother, Jake.
Being a twin, I was brought up in a distinct way by always having someone to interact with. I learned to share various aspects of life with another individual at a young age including a room, personal objects, and the attention of my parents. Christmas morning became more of a race to open presents instead of a calm and joyful time. I realized that anything he received, I did too. I would constantly become furious with my brother. Moments later I would feel awful for getting mad and soon apologize because I had a funny story to share. My parents dressed us exactly alike down to the color of our underwear so alike that they too mixed us up. I began to answer to his name almost more than my own. I endured years of attempting to explain to others that no, I cannot feel Jakes pain and no, I cannot actually use Jake as a mirror. I soon answered the previous questions so often that I reached a point where I began to just agree with everything yes, I have a secret language with my twin. Moreover, I realized at an early age that I would always have my brothers back and he would unconditionally have mine.
Throughout school, I used my tangled identity as a twin to grow as a student and a person. Growing up knowing my brother just as much as I knew myself enhanced our connection beyond that of others. I used that amplified connection when working together to play off of our strengths and accomplish our mutual goals. As we grew older, we began to branch away from each other and socialize with new faces. I broke through comfort zones and used the same interpersonal skills among peers I barely knew. The close bond with my brother enhanced my verbal and non-verbal communication with him, and as I broke out of my shell, I was able to communicate effectively with anyone.
