Monday, May 20, 2002

Radiohead's "How to Disappear Completely" currently flits through my head

WARNING: Silly ramble ahead. Be prepared to laugh at my stupidity!

I used to think I was special, a unique individual in a world of billions. No one else could be quite like me. No one else would want to be like me. I could rest assured in this notion. Everything in my formative years contributed towards this idea. My parents constantly affirmed my free spirit. My teachers taught me songs about the importance of standing against the crowd. Even in the midst of the terrible years of middle school, I never wanted to behave exactly like anyone else. I always just concentrated on what I liked doing and that was it. Then, at the end of my 8th grade year, this all changed when I tried out for the high school drill team. I met a girl named Ginny.

Now to put this in perspective, let me describe myself. I'm about 5'9ish, long legs, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, round face. Let me describe Ginny. She's about 5'9ish, long legs, dark brown hair, brown eyes, round face. Physically, we're very similar, so it was natural for the other girls in drill to give us the nickname of "twins." Strange thing is, we thought a lot alike too. Even though she was a senior when I was a freshman, we bonded instantly. We always had something to talk about... After she graduated, we rarely get a chance to see each other, but when we do... well, it's still "twinkie time!" For example, today one of our good mutual friends had her wedding shower. We show up at the same time. We both spend an inordinately long time trying to decipher the numbers of the houses in order to find the correct home. We each buy Sarah a cookbook, on the suggestion of our mothers... I rest my case.

But seriously, we're not exactly alike. Perhaps I'm exaggerating the extent of these coincidences. I'm still confident in my own unique personality but I write about this experience as a suggestion for my readers... be on the lookout for your "twin." They might be out there. And it's always fun trying to find them.