8/6/07 Men are from Mars and Sisters are from Flea Markets

Mom and I flew up to see The Seester in Chicago this weekend. Whereas I am everybody's favorite quirky suburbanite, Stepher is the sophisticated big city yuppie lawyer professional. I'm not sure how we ended up coming from the same genes. (When I was young, I used to tell people that the family purchased Steph at a flea market when she was a baby. I also swore that at a nickel, we were overcharged. I still stand by the flea market statement, although with inflation, she may begin to be worth the price).

Anyway, in many many ways, Stepher and I are a lot alike. People tell us that all the time. This is mostly due to common mannerisms and facial expressions. In just about every other way, we're opposites. My preferred outfit of choice consists of jeans and a simple shirt. Stepher loves the height of fashion. I bought a mountain bike last night. Stepher spent the same dollar amount on a bottle of wine. I buy Wal-Mart brand shoes and still grumble about the price. Stepher has amassed thousands of dollars worth of fancy high-heeled shoes and is still always on the lookout for her next pair. She's a shoe junkie...I'd go barefoot everywhere if I could. Stepher likes a good club scene. I like to stay at home. She attends fashionable parties. I rank parties at the same annoyance level as a trip to the dentist. I like plants. Stepher does not personally own one bit of flora...not even fake ones. I like to build things. Stepher would rather just buy it (which completely misses the point of building it). I read whodunits, she reads about supreme court justices (snore!). I drink instant hot chocolate with cute little freeze-dried marshmallows. She drinks Mocha Fraps from Fourbucks. You get the idea. (I'm normal, and she's Frasier Crane with a Sex in the City shoe obsession).

You would think that this would cause problems, but for some reason, it doesn't. That's the good thing about families. People who would otherwise never run in the same circles get thrown together because they're connected by blood. For us, it works. Whenever we get together, we click right into place. She overlooks that I can be cynical and (dare I say it?) perceived as possibly dull and I overlook that she's a know-it-all that turns everything into a debate. We finish each other's sentences. We remember lines from movies that we haven't seen in years. We stay up all night talking. I know not everyone is lucky enough to have the sisterly relationship that we have, but I would also like to point out that having opposite personalities shouldn't stop you from trying. The way I figure it, you can have friends, you can have best friends, but one step up from best friend is a sister, because they have the added bonus of being blood friends. (It's a major redeeming factor for putting up with a sibling).

Hmmm. This was supposed to be about my trip to Chicago, but instead kind of veered off to be a touchy-feely Hallmark card blog about the bonds of family. Ack.

We'll try again tomorrow with more about the trip. Specifically, the joys of Chicago style pizza, and why it should be added to the Wonders of the World list.

In the mean time, call your family and tell them that you love them, especially if it makes you uncomfortable to say it. You need the practice, and they need to hear it.