Friday, May 1, 2009

Hello, It's My Birthday...

Today is my birthday. I know it's a little obnoxious for me to be declaring this little tidbit to the world at large... But I don't care, it's my day and I'm claiming it.

I'm not shy about informing perfect strangers that it's my day, although this fact seriously embarrasses my daughter. I proclaimed it to the girl at the boutique (she didn't offer a discount). I told the girl at the salon. I'll pretty much make sure everyone I see today knows I'm special, even if it's just a 24 hour type of special.

I remember when I was little (and coincidentally, younger...) how a birthday was all-important. I think the only thing better than a birthday was Christmas. I remember parties with all the neighborhood kids in attendance. Scavenger hunts, balloons, cake and ice cream... I fondly recall my surprise Sweet 16 party--I think the whole school showed up! I'm sure my poor mom was a little overwhelmed with the turnout. And it probably wasn't what she had in mind, but I loved it!

When did those happy days of celebration become dreaded days marking the progression to Oldness? I refuse to be a part of that melancholy. As proof of my eschewal, I offer the fact that I rarely declare my true age. I refuse to place importance on any particular age related number. Of course, I do acknowledge the actual benchmark birthdays that mark entry to legal adulthood, or other legally or religiously significant thresholds, but a change from the 20s to the 30s, or the 30s to the 40s doesn't qualify for much in my book.

I know women who claim to be 29 for years (decades?). Not me, since my early thirties I've been claiming 43. Why 43? I don't know... I guess I didn't think that identifying the true number of birthdays I have had was relevant to anything. Or maybe I just didn't think it was any one's business... Or it's possible that I simply didn't want to do the math required to answer the question honestly--I don't always know the correct answer off the top of my head! It's just not something upon which I dwell...

So the question remains, how old am I today? I haven't decided yet. But I like the look of 47--don't you just love the angularity of those numerals?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!
It's a great day to have a birthday, May 1st!
(I know how old you are!)

bebe said...

Yep--and I know that you'll be the same age in under 6 months!!! Be nice!!!

Olivia said...

I know how old you are too. And it's always going to be younger than me. Happy birthday!

honeypiehorse said...

Happy birthday!

 
Copyright 2009 Those Crazy Beans
Wordpress by WP Themes Creator