SISTERS



Sometimes I get so tired of the crazy obsession with individualism in the West. "Never let go of your true self." "Never let anyone else change you." "Be exactly who you have always been." "Don't try to be like anyone else." It all sounds pretty lonely to me.
When I was little I wanted to be just like my sister, Becca. She wanted to be like a boy. Skirts? Out of the question. Dolls? Disgusting. Pink? You've got to be kidding me. Dirt? The more the better. Sports? The only thing worth playing. Blue and red? The best!
Was I denying my "true" self, maybe a little. When I was at friends' houses by myself we would pull out the Barbies and play for 16 hours straight.
Did I grow up with a best friend and a playmate? Yes. We played army in the woods for hours. We would take on any boys on the basketball court that would dare to challenge us. We had a blast with our slug races and mud pies.
Maybe I missed out on a little bit of princess play and pink tutu dancing, but I was still me. I was a better me because I wasn't playing in a corner by myself being an "individual".