The birth order books confused me when I read them as a young parent. I was the fourth child, the second daughter, I was supposed to be a jokester, charming, immature and more than slightly irresponsible.
I didn’t get it.
I wasn’t like that at all.
What the birth order books didn’t remember to tell me was when you are in a large family that has separate artificial components, your birth order will be dwarfed by your order within your subgroup. Clear as mud, right?
There are six children in my family. The first three were considered the big kids. The second three were the little kids. I was the oldest of the little kids which was a lot more of my identity than being the second daughter. My older sister was then the youngest of the big kids.
It felt topsy turvy at times, but it was as if my sister and I had switched roles: she was like the youngest in the family and I was like the oldest in the family. She was the one who was more of a jokester. She was the one who spoke out raucously.
I would never say anything I thought my upset someone or go against the rules. That might cause attention in my direction and there were few fates worse than that.
Consequently I heard more of My mother’s famous lectures than I had my mother’s lectures directed at me. She had an entire encyclopedia of speeches. There was one that started like this: “Respoooooooonsibility.” She was quite the orator, using different fluctuations in her voice for emphasis.
The one I remember my sister receiving the most was, “Think before you speak.” It was never enough to speak the proverb, Mom had to sing at least a couple verses of her lecture before Sue would be let off the hook and I would be able to come out from under the invisible rock I would climb under as Mom strode into the room, frustrated and tired herself.
I wonder what my children will tell their children when they receive the prompt, “Mom always used to say….”
Now that is a pretzel to nibble on today!
Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot
© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott
Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.
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