It was my birthday yesterday.
I've never been really particularly into my birthdays. Or really any kind of attention that I didn't have to work hard to earn.
I mean shocking people by being the first on an empty dance floor is fun attention. Getting a story just right, making serious people laugh, yup that's good attention.
Being born, eh, not so much.
But the older I get the more into birthdays I get.
Maybe it's because I'm not on as many dance floors as I used to be. Maybe it's because some of those serious people just look annoyed with my stories. Whatever the reason, birthdays and honoring the special-ness are becoming more important.
I don't need extravagant parties or out of this world gifts.
Yesterday, I got all kinds of crazy by ordering a venti soy latte at Starbucks and watching the finale of Mad Men in the middle of the day. The crazy celebration continued with homemade M&M blizzards and fun family time with Tim and the kids.
Social media has made birthdays even more fun.
I mean Facebook (FB) is just awesome. You don't have to tell people it's your birthday, FB does it for you. You get messages from an old coworker, a friend from middle school and your neighbor? Amazing.
Some things however never change. My dad called me to tell me he was going to China in the morning, and to have a happy birthday. I asked him to keep a journal about his travels and post his pics to his Flickr account. Later that afternoon I talked to my mother and ended up hanging up on her. I wish that story was different with her, but it just isn't. Quite frankly, the birthday when I don't hear about a wonderful adventure my father is going on or have a creepy conversation with my mother who is stuck in the past will be strange.
Getting older, putting up with all the old and navigating all the new, that's what makes birthdays special. I feel more grateful than ever for the good and more ready to let go of the bad.
Thirty eight is going to be special.
As if the Metamucil wasn't enough, just to make me feel older, I found out I share a birthday with the opening of the movie E.T. And that movie opened 30 years ago yesterday. That's not bad or good, that's just crazy that E.T. was 30 years ago. Elliot is 40 years old people.
I've never been really particularly into my birthdays. Or really any kind of attention that I didn't have to work hard to earn.
I mean shocking people by being the first on an empty dance floor is fun attention. Getting a story just right, making serious people laugh, yup that's good attention.
Being born, eh, not so much.
But the older I get the more into birthdays I get.
I am now 38 years old.
Holy shit, I am 38 years old.
Maybe it's because I'm not on as many dance floors as I used to be. Maybe it's because some of those serious people just look annoyed with my stories. Whatever the reason, birthdays and honoring the special-ness are becoming more important.
I don't need extravagant parties or out of this world gifts.
Yesterday, I got all kinds of crazy by ordering a venti soy latte at Starbucks and watching the finale of Mad Men in the middle of the day. The crazy celebration continued with homemade M&M blizzards and fun family time with Tim and the kids.
Social media has made birthdays even more fun.
I mean Facebook (FB) is just awesome. You don't have to tell people it's your birthday, FB does it for you. You get messages from an old coworker, a friend from middle school and your neighbor? Amazing.
Birthdays on Twitter? Equally awesome. One of the best parts of my day was this:
@Dallas_TNT wished me a happy birthday! What? That's right. I mean the only thing that could be better is if JR or Sue Ellen themselves tweeted me a happy birthday. Maybe next year. 
Some things however never change. My dad called me to tell me he was going to China in the morning, and to have a happy birthday. I asked him to keep a journal about his travels and post his pics to his Flickr account. Later that afternoon I talked to my mother and ended up hanging up on her. I wish that story was different with her, but it just isn't. Quite frankly, the birthday when I don't hear about a wonderful adventure my father is going on or have a creepy conversation with my mother who is stuck in the past will be strange.
Getting older, putting up with all the old and navigating all the new, that's what makes birthdays special. I feel more grateful than ever for the good and more ready to let go of the bad.
Thirty eight is going to be special.
 |
| The good. |
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| The new (doctor's orders). But really? I'm 38, not 78. C'mon! |
As if the Metamucil wasn't enough, just to make me feel older, I found out I share a birthday with the opening of the movie E.T. And that movie opened 30 years ago yesterday. That's not bad or good, that's just crazy that E.T. was 30 years ago. Elliot is 40 years old people.
Just because...a post called 38 Special is begging for this lame video from 38 Special.
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