Meet the Rubin's by Jamie Rubin

My family is pretty average. I have a dad, mom, twin brother, older sister, and a dog. We are a white, Jewish, middle-class family living in a nice suburban town.  We are about as basic as it gets...or so it seems.

My parents got divorced when I was about five. Shortly after, my mom met a man named Norman. Before my dad even got the chance to move out, Norman was living with us. Fast forward about nine years and here we are. I live with my mom, Norman, and my brother, David. 

Norman is quite the character. I don't consider him family, but my mom does and he plays a relatively large role in my life. Some of his actions are... questionable to say the least. Most of the time he is baked beyond belief and he's constantly working on his "business" (which is also quite questionable because he's been "working on it" for nearly 20 years without progress). He seems to keep my mother sane and drive her crazy all at once. However, I appreciate him for two reasons: he gives me rides and shovels the driveway.

My brother, David, is like Jimmy Neutron on steroids. David is a genius. He skipped fourth grade and is now in the STEM Academy and maintains an A average in all his classes seemingly effortlessly.  Not only is he smart, but he is athletic, outgoing, and an overall great person that I really admire. 

Last but not least, my parents try impossibly hard for my brother and me and I love them so much for that, but they are most definitely not perfect. For as long as I can remember, my mom has always been working and stressed 24/7. She gets mad really easily, which makes me mad, which is probably the root of most of our fights. My dad is a really nice guy. He goes out of his way for my brother and me all the time and is willing to drive 2.5 hours to get to my house after work just to pick me up from a friend's house or take me to the gym. While I get into petty fights with both my parents rather frequently, they mean the world to me.

All in all, despite some peculiar characteristics that make the Rubin's stand out, after writing this, I have to come to the conclusion that, perhaps, my family is pretty average.