Essay #9
I sat in my room dreaming of the day I could buy a black Mercedes C-300—the day I’d finally claim my independence from my sister.
“Jack, have you finished your PowerPoint project yet?” my mom shouted, interrupting my reverie.
“No, Mom. It's not due until next week!” I yelled.
“Your sister already finished it,” she said.
I rolled my eyes. This happens every time. Although my sister, Talia, and I are twins, our personalities couldn’t be any more different. The only thing we have in common is our birthday. Talia is very independent, diligent, and reserved, and I’m the opposite: collaborative, laid-back, and outgoing.
People often make comments like, “You’re so lucky to have a twin!” Although it might seem fun, being a twin has some major downsides. The worst part is when people play the comparison game. For as long as I can remember, friends and relatives have asked questions such as, “Who’s smarter?” and “Who’s better at basketball?” Rather than trying to be the best version of myself, my expectations have always been to live up to my sister’s extremely high standards. She made the varsity basketball team as a freshman and broke the ninth-grade scoring record, so it was tough to compete right from the start. I made the JV team, which in most families would have been considered an accomplishment, but I never broke any records. My classmates’ snarky comments about Talia’s superiority made me ask myself who I was and whether I wanted to continue playing basketball. Despite my insecurities, I realized I love the sport too much to quit.
Unfortunately, our lifelong rivalry hasn’t been limited to sports. After Talia earned an SAT score that would thrill many students, she was disappointed because it wasn’t high enough for her. She’s been earning all As on her report cards since elementary school, and although my grades are very good, my parents are quick to emphasize that they aren’t as impressive as Talia’s. The comments from friends, relatives, and classmates hurt, but nobody’s comparisons crush me more than my mother’s. She finds every opportunity to highlight Talia’s strengths. I’m a competitive person who hates to come in second, but in my own family, this seemed like my destiny—until I hatched the ambitious idea to buy my own Mercedes C-300. As if it isn’t bad enough living in Talia’s shadow, I’m also usually dependent on her for rides. The Mercedes will allow me to distinguish myself from her. After all, how many high schoolers do you know who drive a car like that?
To achieve my goal, I sent applications to 15 employers before landing a sales job at Chick-Fil-A and a coaching position at Pat The Rock Academy, a basketball-training camp. Working two jobs and increasing my responsibilities have taught me a lot about discipline and helped me build my confidence, which was tough to do while frequently comparing myself to Talia. I also improved my time-management and communication skills, which will benefit me when I pursue my dream to run my own business someday. I have also become a more mature and organized individual. Although I haven’t yet earned enough money to buy my beloved Mercedes, I’ve put about $6,000 into my savings account, and this earning power and work experience have given me the self-esteem I lacked. Ever since my sister and I were kids, we did all our extracurricular activities—playing the piano, flute, basketball, and mini-golf—together. These two summer jobs proved to me that I don’t need to follow in her footsteps, and I may excel in many skills she’s never even developed. Although I’m still a little nervous to go against her one-on-one on the court, and my GPA may never be as high as hers, I’m carving out my own identity, which will serve me well in college and in my business career.