Birthdays. You can acknowledge them or not, but they keep happening as long as you stick around on the planet. I decided that this year was a good year for celebrating more rather than less, because I am of an age to start wondering how many birthdays I have left. So I started a few days ahead of my actual birthday, and plan to continue for at least a week after it. Just thinking about ways to celebrate this auspicious event reminded me of how I've spent my birthday in years past.
My favorite undergraduate birthday in college was a picnic in my living room, using the back of the ugly painting that came with the furnished apartment as a floor-level "table." My roommate, best friend, and next door neighbor shared fried chicken and other summer delights with me, trying to forget that my birthday was deep in the snowy time of year.
My 25th birthday found me in a college bar with someone I liked more than he liked me. The state authorities chose that date to "inspect" the bar and asked everyone there for ID...except me. They carded OLD guys, but not me. This was a little disconcerting. Really, I am the only one here who looks obviously old enough to drink, so you don't have to check me?
My first drink in a bar was the night I turned 18, because I lived just a couple miles from a state where the drinking age was 18 (at that time). My best friend and I went to a movie (Straw Dogs) and stopped at a bar afterward. I had no idea what to order since I had never done this before. I can't remember what I ended up with, but I'm sure it was some cocktail suitable for a first-time drinker.
The biggest party I remember having for my birthday was the year I left the Air Force. We had a combined birthday / farewell bash in someone's apartment. San Bernardino, California; I'm sworn to secrecy about the details.
A dozen or so years ago, I had a birthday party at my own house, with friends and neighbors, and an assortment of children because most of us had them at the time. I enjoyed that it was very eclectic, and I did not have to drive home.
Two years ago, a friend let me have a party at her house, much bigger and cleaner than mine. It was a fairly small event, because I felt awkward inviting too many people to someone else's house. It was still a wonderful time, small enough to actually talk to people and get to know more about them. Oh, and to try new foods, like pani puri (which I am probably killing the spelling of). And try on bright yellow shoes with 6 inch heels. And learn about the background of a song called Brasileirinho.
Other birthday memories are not from parties. I realized recently that while I would never want to have to make a living at it, I really enjoy performing. (That would help explain the recent conversations about a karaoke party once the weather warms up, and the fond memories from high school musicals.) This came to me after having dinner with a friend and his family, at which I spent so much time talking (and entertaining them, I hope) that I only ate half of my dinner. (If you have eaten with me, you know that's rare.) I started to see a pattern that other people probably could have pointed out but did not realize I didn't know. Which leads to one of my favorite birthday memories, from a couple years ago. The Zumba class I was attending at the time used to invite people from the room up on stage with the instructor occasionally. The week of my birthday, I got invited up to dance with the instructor four days in a row, including once by someone who had never done that before. Ah, the good old days; but things change and we move on.
This year's birthday has already seen a lunch with friends and a dinner with more friends. A couple other activities are in the plans. I highly recommend celebrating your birthdays, every one of them, because whether you are young or not-so-young, you can't predict which birthday will be your last. Enjoy them all!
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