Another Verbal Grad Student?

I recently learned that my younger sister has been accepted in a several speech pathology graduate programs. This is the sibling who is closest in age to myself. This is also the sibling who seems to disagree on everything with me. She votes democratic, I tend to vote for 3rd parties. I do the Blues and 70s rock and she does (shiver) club music. I like outdoor activities and she likes a well-appointed shopping mall. I like Sagan, Vonnegut, and Bill Bryson, she likes books by Gregory Maguire and romantic comedies. I imagine you get the picture.

I couldn’t say why we see things so differently; we share a sizable portion of genetic material and a similar rearing environment after all. Perhaps that’s just simply one more example of the natural variation that arises, even in members of the same families.

For certain her strengths are not my strengths and vice versa. But without that variation her unique strengths would be lost. Her ability to spot things others missed and to find things that I simply could not see dumfounded and sometimes amused me as a child may be an aid to her here, as will her patience, and persistence.

And it will certainly make for interesting dinner conversation during the holidays. We had this delightful debate over turkey this year concerning what constitutes pragmatic skills.

Intra-verbal: That’s not what pragmatic skills are!

Interverbal: Can you define what pragmatic skills are then?

(Mutual younger sibling whispering to Intra-verbal): Shhhhhh.. don’t get him going he’s worse than dad.


Ahhh.. Holiday memories!