Growing up with a fraternal twin, I have never known what it’s like to not be a twin, and thus get asked the question, “What’s it like being a twin?’ by everyone I meet. At South Windsor High School, this reality is the same for many students. In the senior class alone, there are over 13 sets of twins. While most people assume that it’s “cool” or “awesome” to have one, that isn’t always true.

As a fraternal twin, I don’t have to worry about being confused with my brother, unlike those that are identical. One identical twin, senior Dyaimonta Moreno, explains that, “People get us mixed up all the time, and it gets annoying at a certain point.” While students may often get called by their older brother or sister’s name in class by mistake from a teacher, identical twins deal with this in their daily lives. Being identical can cause issues in conversation, and twins in general often deal with other problems too.

With a brother/sister in the same grade, getting called the same name isn’t an issue; however, there are other disadvantages that often get overlooked. One thing twins commonly endure is constant competition and comparison. Caroline Hegi, a freshmen, agrees that the constant pressure to do better than the other is something that she doesn’t like. While she is very close with her brother, Daniel, they still experience the downsides of being twins. People often assume that they have the same opinions. Since they’re the same age, many often forget that fraternal twins are no more similar than any other two siblings; Hegi was simply born two minutes before Daniel.  (Side: Caroline and Daniel Hegi)

Since twins spend so much time together, it can lead people to have a hard time separating the two, like Hegi explained with opinions. A junior, Allison Samsel, remarked that “we’re always grouped together, it’s always Jack and Allison.” The lack of individuality can be difficult for twins and cause frustration. Samsel sympathizes with Hegi, because people “automatically assume I have the same views” (as her brother Jack). The problems that these girls encounter are ones that sometimes make me wish my brother wasn’t my twin, but rather just my brother. Although I love explaining and surprising people that no, being a twin isn’t always “awesome”, there are aspects that make people understandably envious.

As I explained before, twins spend infinitely more time together, which can be bad, but on the other hand can create a unique bond. Kellie Sartoris, a senior, explains that her relationship with her twin sister, Sarah, is stronger than with her brother simply because they spend more time together. “We’re in the same grade and do the same sports, so we’re always together,” she comments. Having a brother or sister there for you at all times is something that many twins experience and love. Obviously there are days when we just want to be apart, but as junior, Jillian Thibodeau mentioned on the topic, she always has “someone to talk to about anything.”

Despite all the pros and cons of having a twin, it is an extremely unique characteristic about myself that is entertaining to share with others. Over the course of my life, I’ve heard the phrase, “I wish I was a twin!”, countless times. Hearing that statement frustrates me, because I think of all the downsides associated with situations that arise as a result of having one.  Regardless of how much I despise that phrase, I have to admit that I’m guilty of saying something that others probably find just as ridiculous, “I wish I had a younger/older brother!”