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Castor and Pollux

Twins Inside

By J MagnusonPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Castor and Pollux
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Castor and Pollux. Two brothers who loved each other so much that when one died, the other begged Zeus to bring him back. They spend half their time on earth and the other half in the stars. Two brothers, alike in so many ways but different, too.

I wonder if all Geminis have the same internal struggle as I. I can function perfectly in the real world, molding and melding myself to be whatever I am needed to be in the moment only to go home exhausted, eager for solitude and quiet. I am fun and spontaneous, but I like a well thought out plan. I speak my mind and do so quickly, giving little thought to my words, but I deeply care about others’ feelings and avoid conflict and hurting people.

Not many people know the real me. I don’t know the real me. It changes from moment to moment depending on the situation and the circumstances. Is the real me the woman in charge at work, delegating and directing, acting as traffic controller for our busy office, getting patients and staff where they need to be at the time they need to be there? Is the real me the problem-solving mom who gets texts from her teenage son who lost his keys and can’t get into his car to refill the leaking coolant, so he needs a ride to work, but whose teenage daughter won’t take him because he was rude to her? Is the real me the chef who goes to the grocery store with a list of three things but walks each aisle looking at the ingredients and dreaming of the decadent things she will make for dinner this week, even though she’s on a diet? Is the real me the athlete that dresses in four layers, puts on a face mask and rides her bike through the snow dusted streets because the plows have gone through and she needs to get out of the house? Is the real me the sleepy lady who curls up in a thick comforter on the couch, turns on NCIS reruns and does sudoku puzzles on her phone? Is it possible that the real me is a combination of all the complex, contrasting personalities that emerge periodically, or is it possible that the real me is still inside, buried, waiting for the right moment to come out and introduce herself?

Castor and Pollux. The twins that live within me. Castor, the skilled horse tamer that enables me to read people, calm them and, yes, even manipulate them to some extent. I have the ability with a few words and a soothing tone to calm the most disgruntled customer, smooth over office tensions and quiet an angry supervisor. Pollux is the immortal boxer who rouses me to wade into situations and take charge. The twin that prompted me to, not once, but twice, take command and administer CPR to strangers when no one else stepped forward. They are the soft-hearted twins who helped me grieve when the first man succumbed to his circumstances but rejoiced with me when the second made a full recovery. The brave twins that fuel my sense of adventure and love of travel but also enjoys a quiet night at home.

The story of Castor and Pollux is the best of Greek Mythology. Born of the same woman from an egg that split from two fathers, Zeus and a mortal king. The brothers grew up close, went on many adventures together, were brave and kind, impulsive and supportive. When Castor died after being double crossed, the immortal Pollux went to his father and asked to share his immortality with his brother. Zeus agreed, and Castor and Pollux were able to spend one half the year on earth and one half the year in the stars. Sailors look to the skies to see the twins as they are considered good luck.

I hope to never lose sight of both of the brothers that make up the one me.

humanity
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About the Creator

J Magnuson

Mom of three. Tons of stories in my head and no time to write them down.

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