So I am one of those people who all my life have been plagued by a dad who knows everybody and their dog... and a brother who likes to have a million connections. Not to mention a sister who is a really big extrovert and loves meeting new people.
So, where does that leave me? Hmmm, good question. I get to be the person that is introduced as everybody's sister or daughter... Or after they get to know me a little they are like, "BTW, do you have a brother/sister..." or "Is your dad..."?
I absolutely hate living in a shadow!! I am really happy for them, and I very rarely meet anyone that really can't stand them, but still... seriously! Last I checked I was my own person! Kindly treat me as such!
Anyway, I have had the unique pleasure recently of introducing both my brother and sister to people that they didn't know! And my dad actually met some people that were like, "Do you have a daughter named..."? Ha! Sometimes it is fun to turn the tables!
I know some people that are not firstborn/only child have this same problem because Teacher X, who had older brother Freddy in their class a few years back, expects them to excel in the exact same subjects! I understand their frustration, a little too well. Living in a shadow is one of the most crippling positions to crush your self esteem. Very rarely can you live up to another's expectations. Plus the constant judgment just isn't healthy! It often leads people to completely rebel against norms and go extreme other end of the spectrum on pretty much everything! If you expected me to be good at math, well I am going to go all artsy on you. Just to prove you wrong/prove that I can be my own person.
So much better to just look at people individually aside from their backgrounds or relations, and then we can really see them for who they are! (which sounds so lame, but do you kinda get what I am trying to say here?)
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