“Granddad and Granddaughter Are Twins!”
Behaviors DNA Alone Cannot Explain
When I say, “My 2 year old Granddaughter and I are like twins.” Everyone else says, “You’re nuts! You’re different genders – and you’re 70 years older than she is!”
Then I say, “We act the same – she shares 1/4 of her genes with me.” And they shout, “Exactly! Which means you’re NOT TWINS!”
To which I shout back, “Read this and you’ll see what I mean!”
My granddaughter and I are both stuck in time. We live almost entirely in the present moment. If there are no plans given to us for the day we will eventually create a compelling activity for ourselves – such as opening a cupboard and taking everything out of it.
We are both impervious to the smells that our bodies generate. In fact, we seem surprised when people comment on them and, at that point, we are both prone to start giggling.
We have a self-centered point of view. Our idea of doing something for someone else is to give them something we don’t want anymore.
We are frequently irrational, and maintain our irrationality no matter how explicitly the logic of the situation is explained to us. Convincing us to do something, such as putting things back into a cupboard, is like debating Socrates with a limited vocabulary.
If given a choice, we prefer to wear soft clothes that don’t match – though WE think they match. And all our pants must have elastic waistbands.
When someone tells us “no”, sometimes we will act as if we don’t understand the word and refuse to acknowledge it. Of course if we are the ones saying “no” – then the word becomes the entirety of our argument.
We often don’t like to take baths and will complain loudly to that effect. Sometimes we love to take long baths. There is no discernible pattern to our preferences.
We can be easily amused yet at the same time we can be hard to engage, especially if we are preoccupied with a compelling task, such as taking things out of a cupboard.
We need naps to feel good. It is not our fault if we get cranky because someone kept us up too long or woke us up too soon.
We like to eat. Meals are important activities which define our day. It is not our fault if we get cranky because we didn’t get fed on time.
We constantly want attention and acknowledgement unless we want to be left alone. It is impossible to predict when this will happen.
We have attitude. We test people’s patience, sometimes intentionally. See what I mean?
Rick Doehring
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