I've been hanging around children more often lately. If there was ever a doubt in my thinking, they have now convinced me that we are born with the seeds of a particualr character, personality, psychological blueprint already in place. My eight-year-old niece, Molly, still has Haloween candy from three years ago. She holds onto everything and chooses to savor experiences, allowing herself only a piece of something at a time. Her younger sister Nora stuffed an entire fruit roll-up into her mouth yesterday. I watched, surprised there was room in there for her to move her jaw up and down as she chewed it. She seemed very happy to be savoring life with one big bite.
I think of my sister, T, who will turn the same age as me next Tuesday. We will remain like this- twins of sorts- for one full month prior to my solar return, when I'll pull ahead of her (ahead meaning closer to death) again. Like Molly and Nora, we could not be more different!
I sometimes think psychology focuses too much on the sameness across human beings, those experiences we have in common. These days I'm fascinated by the differences.
