Lily and Rose are polar opposites in personality. It's not that I am comparing them, this isn't about achievements and who did what first, this is about who they are. Lily is bold and out going, she has a take charge, be the leader personality while Rosie is more reserved, shy, doesn't want to be in the spot light and has no desire to lead. No thanks, she will follow or just stay put.
Sally, my big sister was Lily and I was Rosie. I have definitely changed and now I am fiercely independent and a leader but as I child, I would rather crawl under a rock than be noticed. Sally was the popular one, she was the one with the more out going personality. She could and would take charge in an instance, just like Lily. Lily remains calm and has an innate way of knowing what to do even in a situation that is foreign to her. I would panic or if I was doing really well I would just be worrying, alot, just like Rose. I still worry but not like I did as a kid.
When I was about 10 my mother was in hospital and my sister picked me up from school. As soon as we walked into the house we, no no, she knew something was wrong because the dog was going ape. She immediately started looking around and found a downstairs chimney to be on fire. She, oh so calmly, walked to the phone, dialed 999, reported the problem, hung up and rang my father at work without batting an eyelid. I on the other hand started running in circles screaming, the house is on fire, the house is on fire. Once she put the phone down with daddy she slapped me! ( I think she had seen that done on T.V. to calm down hysterical woman) It worked and I calmed down and did what she said. She took me and the dog and we headed outside. By the time the fire engine arrived I was a basket case again and she just remained as cool as a cucumber.
The fire engine skidded to a stop and all hell broke loose which didn't help my nerves at all. Sally showed them where to go, all the time tripping over her nervous Nelly sister who insisted on getting in the way. My Father arrived minutes later.
I can tell many stories of how she saved the day or saved me or saved the neighbourhood by her actions. She was just that way. Calm and in charge. Just the way Lily is. I use the word, "unflappable" to describe Lily all the time but it also describes my big sister. Perhaps that's just how big sisters are.
Rosie will panic and worry if the weather man says it's going to rain. If it doesn't rain right away she worries if we go out it will rain on her. She needs an umbrella and boots and a raincoat just in case. That was me. If we were waiting for our flight I didn't understand why we waited for it to be called whilst sitting in the departure lounge, surely it would be better to just go and stand by the plane somewhere so we couldn't miss it. Sally would be off somewhere in the airport, happy to fly by the seat of her pants.
Lily will chat with anyone, Rosie not so much. Sally was always adept in social situations whereas I would blush and actually stutter if I had to talk to people. Unfortunately for me, our Father owned a business that kept us quite visible in our town so being thrust into peoples faces was a daily occurrence and I hated it.
I remember on Tuesdays and Thursdays going for tutoring at the Convent with the nuns (and we aren't even Catholic) and if when the clock struck 6 I couldn't hear my Fathers shoes walking up the gravel driveway I would burst into tears because I was sure he had forgotten me. Sound like a daughter of mine? My sister probably would have flung her books in her bag, jumped up from the table and said, "See Ya" and headed for the door. I never had the nerve to do anything.
I never ever got into trouble at school. I'm telling you I was really pathetic. Sally, well that's for her to tell. Bwa ha ha.
My kids are a replica of my sister and I. Egads, I think I need to be very scared.
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| And talking of scared... this is very scary. Sisters |
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| Sisters. |
5 comments:
Great post.....I loved it! It's uncanny isn't when you do the comparisons?
Thank you for making me such a hero, I'm sure I wasn't, however, great tale. The girls will do just fine if, (and may I say) they are like us.
You'll always be my hero and I love you.
Me xoxoxox
Nature vs. Nurture.
Makes you think, doesn't it.
We have polar opposites just you yours. Your Lilly would be my Boy.
And Rosie would be my Girl.
Awesome post. I love how you show the differences between your sister and yourself and compare them to Lily and Rosie.
I too have an older sister and we were very different as children. She was the smart one, me not so much. She had so many friends, me hardly any. I was just too shy. I can recall going to friends house after school and once there having to call my mom to pick me up because I was too afraid to be away from my mom.
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