I was born first. Although there are some perks to being the oldest, it is a struggle at times. Even now that most of us are grown, it can still be a pretty difficult thing.
We have to experience everything first. We don't know what the heck we're doing or what to do. I didn't know which teachers to sign up for in high school. I didn't have an older sister to show me how to put on makeup. Now I'm getting married and I don't know what the heck I'm doing! We get the short end of the stick. Yeah, you can ask your mom and dad, but they got married 20-plus years ago. How will they know? I'm only 23 so not many of my friends have gotten married either. I have no one to follow.
We also have to be moms. Yeah it isn't 100 percent real but I mean I practically had to help raise the little buggers. I was always designated baby sitter. "Can you change the diaper?" "Can you feed the baby?" "Watch your brother." "Watch your sister." Oh, and if I wanted to go to a friend's, they were tagging along. I had zero friends --- we had a lot of friends.
I was always the one getting in trouble. It didn't matter if they hit me first, I was supposed to be older and more mature. It doesn't matter that although I told them "no," they jumped off the couch and almost killed themselves; I was supposed to be watching them. They're crying because they lost but it's my fault because I should've gone easy on them. Like no! I'm 10 years old I want to win! And the next time if I didn't want to play with them because they throw a fit, busted.
Once I got old enough I became chauffeur for them. "Can you pick your sister up for school?" "Oh, your brother has baseball practice. Can you take him?" "Hey, we're out of milk can you go?" Excuse me but I did not sign up for designated driver just because I was born first. I didn't have an AP test to study for -- it's OK. I get back in the day you had to carry your brother up and down a hill to school barefoot in the snow, but I still don't want to drive them!
Last but not least, all the mistakes happen to us! Parents don't know what they're doing with us. We get lost, have millions of doctors appointments because they think we're always dying, and they freak out even when we get little scratches and of course we're going to die. When I was a baby my mom tried to scrape thrush off my tongue because she thought it was formula! If you don't know what thrush is, look it up. It's something that doesn't come off.
But in all actuality, I loved being the oldest and I know I'm going to do the same to my kids. I loved being the one everyone turned to. I am now a natural leader and have gained so much life experience. I guess helping out with the buttheads was fun, too.
