Sibling Allies
September 21st, 2004
Joel Gillman
Compare and Contrast Essay
September 22, 2004
Siblings Allies
Brothers and sisters are known for fighting. The phrase “sibling rivalry” says it all. Other than sharing the same parents, siblings are completely different from each other. My sister, Lauren, and I are a prime example. She loves to free herself by riding horseback while I love to feel free by driving my car. Lauren prefers the mass media giant “MTV” that provides her with what is “cool.” I favor independent and experimental films that provide me with a new way to look at the world.
One night, my sister and I were sent off by our parents to rent a movie. We were told to find any movie the whole family could enjoy. We entered the store planning to meet at the front of the store with our respective choices and pick one. After browsing the Drama and Sci-Fi sections, I decide on Pi, A Beautiful Mind, and Fight Club. Meanwhile my sister casually cruised the Comedy section. When we met up, she had chosen American Pie, Pootie Tang, and Not Another Teen Movie. While I knew that her selections had made a ‘huge’ impact on the world of cultured film, I also knew that my assortment had made a much more meaningful influence. Neither one of us would give in. It was going to be a long night.
Despite the fact that we are siblings, we do not always follow the stereotype. I do not feel that I am “way too cool” for my sister and she does not think that her older brother is a “stupid dummy-head.” My sister and I do not often fight, we share many of the same interests and we think of each other as good friends. Since I am three years older than Lauren, she comes to me for advice rather than our parents or one of her peers. Advice ranges from little things like, “Does this shirt look good with these pants?” to more important items such as relationships.
Growing up together we have developed a similar bizarre sense of humor. My sister has a life-sized cardboard cut out of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. Once she put it in the shower in our bathroom with the shower curtain closed. She left the light off with the door partway open and waited in anticipation in her room. With my pants already undone I threw the door open and flicked the light on. I immediately saw the figure through the translucent shower curtain. It took me a second until my brain reminded me to freak out. I back peddled, screaming, out of the bathroom with my pants around my ankles. Lauren stood over me laughing hysterically. I congratulated her on the success of her prank. We laugh about it every time it is brought up.
I know that regardless of our differences we have many similarities that will always keep us close. For every instance we fight over what movie to pick out, there are tons of times that will keep us on the floor laughing. We have a connection only a brother and sister can understand.