There are overachievers, and there are overachievers

I recently got an email from my baby sister Karlyn (hey babe) - this is the twenty year old who's at Washington and Lee. It wasn't really addressed to me specifically, but was one of those "yes, family, I'm alive and here's why I'm too busy to write to you all individually as you so richly deserve" kind of emails.

I read this list, which includes her proposed major (accounting) and minor (women's studies) along with her recent volunteering stints and her new leadership postion with the Panhell council. (Now, for me, sorority life really would have been a Pan-Hell, but it works for her, so rah rah rah.) Holy shit. I mean, when does the girl sleep? Between terms when she's home, I know.

Now, I found my little niche at Dartmouth and was happy with what I was doing, but looking at my little sister's resume, I feel like I missed something. Granted, I wasn't in any shape mentally or emotionally to do the things she's doing, so why do I feel like I wasted my college years?

You have to understand, Karlyn is the people-person of the family. I am the extremely, painfully shy one. When I was about thirteen and she was 5 and our babiest sister Kerri was 2, we'd be baking cookies or something and run out of sugar or eggs or whatnot. I'd be all ready to walk to the store (45 minutes round trip) and they'd be all "Why? We'll just go down the street." And they'd go out the door on their chubby little legs with big smiles and cute dimples... and come back 10 minutes later with whatever we needed.

Gah. The thought of it still gives me the willies. I have major issues with asking for help or favors... I don't know why exactly, but I do. The thought of walking down the street and knocking on my neighbors' doors in search of a cup of sugar or two eggs is enough to paralyze me completely.

So anyway, I don't know what I'm going to do with my life yet (have ideas, but don't know) but I get the sneaking suspicion that my baby sister might actually have a life plan... Which is all well and good. Someone in the family has to be successful financially. Other than my father, of course. So, you go, Karlyn. And I'll sit here and try not to feel incompetent.

Love and kisses, my little overachiever. *mwah* *mwah*