There are two reactions an only child will get once they finally reveal their big secret (aka their only-childness). These responses come in the form of “Wow, I would’ve never known,” or “Wow, that makes so much sense.” Of course the latter is a tad upsetting at times; but nevertheless, if you’re the center of your parents’ world, that reply will be thrown around and warranted at times.
For my entire life, I’ve grown up by myself. No older brother to pick on me, no little sister to get into my makeup or closet. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly complaining over here. I love the fact that I don’t have to share a room or my parents’ love; however, the stigma that comes with being an “only” has followed me around since birth, literally.
Out of my 7 closest friends I am the only, only child. I get a lot of flack for it, but that’s okay because they’re my best friends and that’s how we show our love. But this is where I would like to point out that I have in fact started to shed my only-childlike traits due to my college experiences.
First, as I’ve already mentioned, my friends make fun of me for my inability to share and other little quirks that are often associated with being the only child in a family. From what I’ve heard, this is what real siblings do to show their affection. I’ve learned to roll with the punches and actually agree with them sometimes. They always give me a reality check when I need it, and they keep me honest.
As someone who has never had to share anything, college was a major wake up call. I went from saying “no” when my best friend from high school asked to borrow a sweater to sharing a room with a complete stranger. While at first I was really nervous about all of this, I now feel a lot more comfortable with the whole sharing thing.
In high school, after school and practice I would go home and do homework by myself for hours. Being around people my age 24/7 took some getting used to. You never know when your friend is going to barge into your room and ask to play wiffle ball on the quad, or who is going to want to do homework with you when you just want to sit in silence. BUT, but, now I really appreciate the comradery of college. It has opened my eyes to how lonely my life was before the college experience.
There are so many other reasons why I’ve changed as a person and am no longer the “Wow, that makes sense” type of only child, but I’ll spare you the little details. What I’m basically trying to say is YES, there’s a cure to “Only Child Syndrome” and it’s called going to college. While I’m not the most independent or patient person on this campus, I can say that my friends aren’t just friends, but family. *Gag*, yes that’s cheesy, but it’s true. So shoutout to all of the people who weren’t born with siblings, but were able to choose their own in college. We might not always play well with others, but we’re getting there.
