ORIGIN PIECE:
"Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it."
I am part of a community of explorers and researchers. We are trailblazers for whom entering the unknown is not an adventure or profession, but simply life. We fill these roles not by choice, but by birth, because we are Oldest Children.
I was always proud to receive “Oldest and Only” flyers in elementary school. They were one-per-family forms, given to the oldest or only child of each family. There was an unspoken understanding between oldest kids and teachers. We would deliver these forms to our parents safely. Little brothers and sisters couldn’t be trusted, but we were up to the challenge.
Since then, my responsibilities as the oldest of three sisters have increased. I recently asked my sisters what being the oldest looks like to them: “You have to set a good example for us, help us with homework and friend-drama. And you do everything first, so, like, you have to do it well.” That sums it up- being the oldest is hard work. While my sisters have me to decipher high school, camp politics, and how lenient mom and dad are on weekend curfews, I’ve had to crack the code myself.
I don’t know what lies ahead for me next year, but it seems that everyone has to figure things out for themselves in college. All the other Oldest Children and I will be one step ahead of our classmates, because we’ve been figuring things out for ourselves- and our parents and siblings- for our entire lives.