Separation

     I finished One and the Same today and now I'm going to go through and talk about it. One chapter that was especially important to me was Making the Break. This chapter focused on separation.
     Separation is something that almost everyone has an opinion on. And for the most part people believe that it should happen sooner rather than later. People don't like it when twins are together at what they deam "too old". Reading this chapter I went through a range of emotions. I felt like I was wrong and that there was something wrong with me (not an unfamiliar feeling from past conversations). And then I felt like separation might be possible someday without absolutely catastrophic results.
     This chapter discussed how twins will split their characteristics between the two of them and then see no need to develop the other stuff, they don't feel the need to have a full range of characteristics. I definitely think this is something that Melissa and I do. I don't feel as comfortable when I'm alone. And I think that comes from never really being alone. I find it much easier to let my personality out when she is around and I find it much easier to interact with people. So this made complete sense when I read it. It's like two separate people united to make one single person. I hope that makes sense.
     Another comment that I found comforting was this chapter said that "the break" often doesn't happen in adolescence but in adulthood. This was surprising to me because everyone seems to think that it should happen as soon as possible.Another point twins that were interviewed made was that they had lived in separate cities and been apart from each other for years, but they actually "separated" when they were together. They needed to be together to actually break apart from each other. This is very comforting because like I said, I don't necessarily want to HAVE to separate from Melissa in order to find out who I am.
     Melissa is literally my other half. She is my protector and the person who I am closest too. We know each other better than anyone else and have never known being alone. In a way I think we are separate people. Or at least working towards it. But we need to do it in our own way and in our own time. It may seem like it's not really happening for some people, but those people don't know what it's like to be a twin.