How the hell did we come from the same gene pool?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Okay, this is a thread for all of us with sibs out there that leave us scratching our heads. I bear little resemblance to my middle sister (5 years older), both in looks in personality.

ME: Clothes are about comfort. I live for jeans and a flannel! Even my dressy clothes are usually comfortable. I like to look nice, but I don’t spend ridiculous sums of money on clothes and I don’t have to have designer brands. My nails are very short, rarely painted (I’m a teacher, fercryin’outlawd). I have fair skin and very dark brown (my b/f still says black), very straight hair. I wear it long and straight because it’s pretty much style-free and thus hassle-free (and it looks good). Make up? I like to wear some and rather like its effect, but rarely wear foundation. My breasts are a natural D cup (wide set, so they look smaller). Personality? In the writer’s club, choir, other “artsy” clubs at school, mocked cheerleaders. Never had a boyfriend until 21–because I thought having one while under 20 was pointless as I wasn’t going to marry them. Always wanted to live on my own, always had my independence a goal, always wanted to fall in love with a best friend (which I did), not a stranger whose eyes I meet across the room. I also hate cigarrettes. Nothing against those of you who smoke, I personally just don’t like it.

Middle Sister: Perfectly curled/styled, often permed bottle-honey-blond hair, three inches shorter, immaculate acrylic nails, fake tan from the salon, what I call “evening out makeup” every day (looks good, just a lot more than I wear), smokes, newly-implanted DD breasts (she was a D before…why she had to go bigger is beyond me), expensive high-quality clothes. Personality? High school cheerleader and homecoming princess. I’ve never known her-from age 13 on–to be without a boyfriend for longer than 2 months, maybe. Constant flirt (once told me I needed to relax and flirt more). Had a baby in failed marriage thinking it would make everything better. Didn’t. Divorced because she finally realized she never loved her husband. Had a boyfriend within a couple months of filing, now is on boyfriend #2 and saying she’s head over feet in love (she’s known him a month). Says she always wanted the fairy-tale romance (her words) where it was, essentially, love at first sight. Said she wants to live happily ever after in love. She leaves me feeling like the protective big sister.

Now, understand I am not slamming anyone who has fake boobs, or was a cheerleader, or has acrylic nails, or who believes in love at first sight. I’m just amazed that the two of us, as different as we are, came from the same friggin’ gene pool.

Anyone else have a sibling so completely opposite of you like this? Do you find yourself banging your head against brick walls, too, with them?

formerly known as LauraRae

I’m a Raggety Ann in a Barbie Doll world.

Laura’s Stuff and Things

2

Babe, I know Just how you mean.

Me: Straight Arrow - No drugs, hate cigarettes, VERY litle alcohol. Love school, strive to succeed. Like to work for others and help people out and stuff. Can’t stand to have anyone not like me. Too little self confidence to have lots of friends or a girlfriend. 6’, 250 Lbs. 56 inch chest.

My Brother (3 yrs older): Pothead, alcoholic, smokes like a chimney. Dropped out of community colleg after 1 term, always had a 60% average or lower. No desire to succeed. Really selfuish except to his friends. Enormous self-confidence - gets any girls he wants, ahs dozens of friends.

Also, he plays in a band and participate sin no sporting activities. I have no musical talent and do nothing but play sports.

I like to read… he’s never read a book in his life.

I work with children all the time. He hates kids with a passion.

Weird, eh?

(don’t get me wrong though, he’s my brother. I love him… whenever he’s not being a total asshole.

“C’mon, it’s not even tomorrow yet…” - Rupert

If you need a graphic solution, http:\ alk.to\Piglet

3

Well, first your father and your mother…

Studi

When I grow up, I want to be the Minister of Silly Walks.

4

I hear ya guys…
My bro (4.5yrs younger) and I have always been really close.
I go of to the AF and now I’m back ‘home.’ My bro and I share an apt.

A lot has changed (or not) in the last few years.

He is now this big neat freak. I’m not totally messy, but I don’t make sure everything is clean before I leave for work. I enjoy life, have fun, and worry about as little as possible, or worry for a bit, then move on. He obsesses on everything. We both love music, but he’s more into bass/rap and I’m into anything that makes me groove. He feels like he’s the older brother. I feel like he wants to be the older brother. Me? I don’t care. We’re all people and people are people.

Sometimes we get mad and fight (verbally) but a lot of the times we just hang out and have fun. But we do both look very similar (like our dad)

It seems like he knows how to push my buttons, but I don’t even care to know what his buttons are.

But, I guess if we were all the same, it would be pretty boring. At least my bro doesn’t embarrass me (much).

“Rolling with the dopes you know. Rolling with the wrong gun on you”
“I dream that she aims to be the bloom upon my misery”

  • I Miss The Girl Soul Coughing
5

My sisters and I are at the opposite extreme: we’re more like each other - looks and personality both - than any of us is like either of our parents. And it’s not like we were really that close as kids, either.

6

I should add my Oldest Sister (8 years older) to the fray. I actually look much more like her–she is 5’8", has dark hair like me (though worn shorter and curled), and fairer skin. Style wise, she’s much less fashion conscious than middle sis. Her body is shaped rather differently; she has bird legs and carries all her weight in her belly and boobs.

Though we may look more alike, Oldest Sister is the religious fundamentalist of the family. She loves telling my middle sister what a horrible sinner (“slut” is the word she used when they were teens) she is, and when the divorce was filed, sent my middle sis a “loving” letter telling her how she was in direct disobedience to God, how “God hates divorce,” she made a vow, etc. A few years ago, I was discussing a dinosaur book I’d bought and how it mentioned the new(er) theory of an asteroid causing the mass extinction. “Well, you know what the Biblical Scholars say,” she interrupted. “The dinosaurs were too big to fit on the ark.” Pause. I knew laughing at this preposterous idea wouldn’t exactly benefit relations, so I treated it respectfully and began to ask, “I see. But how do they account for the extinction of all the marine dinos…” Never did finish my sentence; she pounced on me shouting, "Can’t I ever even finish a sentence with you?"

Also, I happened to get my scores from my MSAT (a test for those aspiring to be teachers without the BA in LIberal Arts/Education) the week she was visiting from Illinois. It was an exhausting test (180 minutes for 18 essays, then 120 minutes for 160 multiple choice), and 75% score is required to pass. I scored in the 90s%…and my sister, once a teacher herself, could only say “Well, you know the NTE [the test she took] is harder.” Obviously, her NTE score was much lower than my MSAT. Thus, she had to somehow undermine my performance. A slight victory: Overhearing veteran teachers talking about the tests at lunch, I learned the MSAT is actually the far more difficult test. All I could think with her comment is, “Why are you competing with me? Why do you care?”

You know, I really wish I had sisters I considered friends. Middle sis, as dramatically different as she is, is the closest I’ve got to it.

7

Hijacking the thread, I note that Ruffian writes:

Now, this is reminiscent of an exchange that I had on a mailing list a few months ago. A person of the female persuasion (my attempt at PC-speak for the day) wrote, “I wouldn’t date (character in a book) because I’d never marry anyone like that.” “So,” I responded, “you wouldn’t marry him, fine, but a day at the races (or other mutually-desirable activity) with him?” “There’s no point in dating anyone you’re not willing to marry,” she replied.
(Quotes are not necessarily word-perfect – it has been a few months – but the sense is preserved.)
Now, this attitude seems to me to be a bit…I don’t know what word to apply to it, offhand, but, gracious, do women these days think of nothing but finding someone to marry (and men, perhaps, think of nothing but finding someone to do something else to)? Is the possibility of being seen in the company of a person of the opposite sex never believed to be purely platonic? Is, in fact, the only purpose of dating the hunt? Or, has “dating” shifted in meaning to be “the hunt”, and another word is applied now to “going to the movies and having a bite afterwards without ulterior motives”?

It is often said that “anything is possible”. In fact, very few things are possible, and most of them have already happened.

8

Well, I called “going to the movies and having a bite afterwards without ulterior motives” exactly that. That’s what it was, at first. It took a while before I realized that it was really “dating” (we got married last year).

So you see, Akatsukami, that nice guy/girl you went to the movies with last week could be a potential mate for life, and you don’t even realize it! :eek: Which is not actually all bad; in fact, I like the fact that we were friends first.

9

Warning, potential rant ahead. My therapist has just now gotten to the root of my misplaced anger and agression, and it is she.

My sister is 10 years older than me. We only look alike in that we both have red hair and are of generally caucasian extraction.

She has curly hair and a figure that is politely described as buxom. From the minute she was born, apparently, she has been God’s precious gift to mother and father. Everything she ever did was perfect. She was an obedient child, and always got good grades even though she wasn’t necessarily “smart”. She played the piano as a child, and later the flute in the HS band and college. She got a degree from a state college in Home Ec, then went on to seminary and got a degree in Early Childhood Religious Indoctrination (I mean Education). She is now married to a music/youth type minister and is a stay at home mom to 2 sons.
The rule in our house when I was a kid was that she, the older sister, could not hit me first, but if I hit her first, she could hit me back early and often.

I was the exact opposite of her - an unruly child who did poorly in school even though I tested brilliantly well. I hated piano lessons because I’d rather be running around in the yard than practicing. The same with the flute, which was forced on me because she had done it, and if it was good enough for her, then it was good enough for me. I went to a Baptist college in a futile effort to compete with her and have an English degree. (It’s nowhere near as good.) I haven’t done the grad school thing yet, but when I find something I want to do I will go for it with a vengeance. I’m as yet unmarried and show no prospects, and am violently opposed to having children in my house. I have steady, gainful employment.

One of us had to be adopted, but I’m not sure which.

10

CatInHat admonishes me:

Well, as long as my wife doesn’t realize it. :slight_smile: She wouldn’t let me forget it for the rest of my life (which, under those circumstances, might only be about five minutes).

It is often said that “anything is possible”. In fact, very few things are possible, and most of them have already happened.

11

Akatsukami: I didn’t say it was a good attitude. :wink: It’s just the one I had in high school. I was annoyed by middle sis’ fickle dating behavior, and even more annoyed when she kept telling me I had to curl my hair, flirt more, do my nails, etc. in order to be more liked and get dates. Dating frankly scared me a little bit as a teen; I just wasn’t ready. In college, I relaxed a little bit and began dating. I have never been a fan of the conventional dating scene; I find it tiresome and silly. However, I do know that it works for millions–it just ain’t my thang. :slight_smile:

As for dating being a hunt…well, it is, isn’t it? What the goal of the hunt is all depends on who you ask. For some, it’s sex. For some, it’s the “victory” of a ring on their finger. For others, it’s companionship. And for still others, it’s just for fun.

I never really got into the hunt, though. My wonderful boyfriend of 2 1/2 years and I never had a date until we were officially a couple…We were friends for six years, best friends for two, before we almost literally woke up saying, “Hey! I think I like you!”

formerly known as LauraRae

I’m a Raggety Ann in a Barbie Doll world.

Laura’s Stuff and Things

12

I have no rivalry with my siblings, perhaps because they’re some years older than me and both had left home by the time I was 11. We do have distinctly different personalities and don’t look very much alike, except that all three of us have the same very distinctive eyes.

But if you want to talk gene pools, let me introduce you to my twin sons. Completely different body types, facial appearance, personalities, talents, hopes, fears, ambitions, you name it. And if you throw their older sister into the mix, we can carve up the DNA into several more subsets.

I like to harken back to the words of our first pediatrician who looked at my daughter, looked at my wife, looked, at me, then did it all over again and finally said “that’s a real interesting combination of the two of you, you got there.”

13

Huh.

Well, me and my brothers are all different, we span various ranges. You know, irreverant atheist to devout Catholic, ex-military to Ph.D. But, we all have in common that we’re healthy folks (you should see my dad, he doesn’t even work out, it’s ridiculous what good shape he’s in) and pretty nice people.

So, in the end, my brothers and I are the all-american family. I love 'em.

I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail.

14

Great idea for a topic Ruffian!

[groan]

I have often wondered the same thing myself. If I had not seen our birth certificates for myself, I’d swear one of us was adopted.

My 3 year older (and only) sister: Dark brown hair (always short), smaller brown eyes, petite but heavier build, puts on “airs” (she says self-confidence) non-Christian, goody-two-shoes growing up, small circle of friends, few dates in high school, Honor Roll student now professional, married late in life, no children, etc.

Myself: light blonde turning to light brown (and usually long) as I age, larger blue eyes changed to medium green (from my grandfather). petite and slender (still), look for the good in others, Christian, large variety of friends, had my share of boyfriends, average student, choose family over career, first married at 22 and two children.

There’s more, but will leave it at that. I love her, but three days visit is about it for me! She’s way too rigid and stresses out about little things. My daughters hold the same opinion.

Our birthdays are only 4 days apart so we are both Virgo’s. Go figure…

You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims. -Harriet Woods-

15

I often wonder that about my sis and I. I love her dearly but we are so different its scary. She is four years older than me.

I have had alot of the same friends since I was in playschool (pre-kindergarten). I love to be comfy in sweats, jeans, sweatshirts, floppy clothes, but also like to dress up occasionally. I have naturally curly hair (red) that I straighten then curl, I wear a bit of makeup. I laugh alot and really enjoy life. Im a good parent, but I also believe in discipline (never hitting). I am bigger boned but I wouldnt necessarily say fat. Always have worked in an office. I married a social work type and got divorced after 13 years together. I’ve been unsuccessful at a number of things but believe if you dont try you will never know. My favourite… I hate fighting, and can’t standing yelling.

Sis… oh man… She’s a horticulturist, definitely a flower child from the 60’s. There isnt much feminine about her. She has lost contact with all her friends and the few she has now are her husband’s friends. She wears the same things every day, t shirts and jeans. She has poker straight brown hair that she just lets hang. She is sooooo pretty but is just miss au naturel so her beauty is missed. She hardly ever laughs anymore. She is so busy being the perfect wife and mother that she sucks at both. Her kids are rude and unruly and she thinks they are perfect. She has always worked outside and altho she looks anorexic she is pure muscle. She married another hort who looks and behaves like John Lennon. She thinks divorce is a cop out even in a bad situation. She is terribly afraid of failure and has never really had anything bad happen in her life. She is a fighter extraordinaire and a real screamer, to the point where its deafening sometimes.

When we are together, nobody would ever even guess we are related.

We are, each of us angels with only one wing,and we can only fly by embracing one another

16

After years of pondering this I’ve concluded I have absolutely no idea. Unless it’s some sort of cosmic, karmic lesson thingy.

My sis and I are complete opposites in temperment but are very close. (Of course we squabbled endlessly as kids.) We don’t even look at all alike, other than height.

There could be some element of reacting differently to the closed system of a family. There are only so many roles, e.g. dutiful, rebel, etc. so maybe that’s part of it. My sister and I have talked a lot in recent years over how/why we reacted to the shared family insanities. In a way, we just bounced in different directions on impacting some family “issues”, as they say.

WAG, but the best I can offer.

Veb

17

ntg: very tall, thin, and flat-chested. Facially, I look uncannily like my mother did when she was my age. I’m not fastidious in terms of appearance, but not really a slob, either, and I keep myself reasonably active. I tend to be very quiet, and keep to myself. I tend to deal with things or avoid them, but not to complain about them. I did pretty well in high school, but I showed a certain rebellious streak, insofar as I dyed my hair weird colors and pierced my nose. After graduation, I vowed never to go to college, but after two and a half years of crappy jobs, I changed my mind. I can’t stand alcohol. I have inherited my mother’s mathematical skills and musical talent, and some of my father’s facility with the English language.

Younger sister #1: Short and Rubenesque. Looks a little like my mother, but not much. Very slobby, and a total couch potato. Very social, never shuts up, always complains. Looks like a “nice girl”, but never applied herself in school, dropped out of college after one semester, and currently is reveling in her crappy job. Drinks like a fish. Inherited none of my mother’s math skills, some of her musical talent, and some of my father’s language skills.

If it wasn’t for the slight physical resemblance, I’d swear that not only were we not related, we’re not even from the same planet. My other sister, on the other hand, looks almost nothing like me, but we act a lot alike. Go figure.

An infinite number of rednecks in an infinite number of pickup trucks shooting an infinite number of shotguns at an infinite number of road signs will eventually produce all the world’s great works of literature in Braille.

18

Oops! :eek: Never mind.

19

Oldest Sister (4 yrs older): Deaf, glasses, tiny little face, tons of thick straight hair, no fashion or make-up sense whatsoever. She walks like a duck, not sure where she got that from. She looks like my dad.She doesn’t read, play sports, write or do much of anything. She is content to continue working at her crap job even though she has many more years of school than any of us. She has zero self-confidence. She is also the most modest, heaven forbid she would ever show any skin other than her neck (sometimes) wrists and ankles. Maturity wise, she’s the youngest. She doesn’t read, she is about 5’4" tall and has, in the last few years gotten quite heavy. this is distressing to me because she is so tiny. She has tiny little bones so it really looks strange on her. I spend a lot of time trying to get her to cut her hair. Her hair is long and with her tiny face, it makes her features almost disappear.

Middle sister (3 yrs older): She is now the mother of two boys and she acts like it. she is shorter 5’2" but thinner than the oldest. She does not wear glasses. She is the only one with a “ski jump” nose. She is a heavy duty bible-thumping baptist, I respect her faith though. She is the easiest person to get mad at you, her buttons are readily accessible. She doesn’t read very much, play sports or do much of anything (too tired I guess). She doesn’t really look like anyone, kind of like a weird throwback.She was great at math when in school. She has not changed her look in sseitgh or nine years.
Me (the baby): I am the tallest at 5’9" I tower over everyone except my dad. I am the only one who still has blonde hair, the other two have gone brown. I have the most confidence out of the three. I love to read, play sports (for fun), am in acting and write. I am the most outgoing. I have gone from waist length to ear bob back to long hair. I look the most like my mom. I am always the one they call for advice.