On Birthdays
I had a birthday recently, and as I’ve aged, the allure of the birthday celebration has inversely dimmed. I just don’t care that much anymore. Sure, it’s nice to get well wishes and even the occasional present, and who doesn’t like to spend time with loved ones, but the whole big soiree is just kind of meh to me. Actually, it pretty much has been for a long time, as even as I kid I don’t remember wanting that many big parties. Maybe I did and it was a financial issue. I wasn’t too aware of such things as a kid, but I like to think it was more because I was antisocial.
Plus people always buy the worst shit for you, I’ve always hated getting crappy gifts, especially around Christmas because I would make exhaustive lists, probably from 2nd grade on. I’m talking 2 column printoffs, 6-8 pages long. It wasn’t so much greed, just that I have a lot of interests. Thus my amazon wishlist.
What brought this to focus is Little Nephew’s birthday. He turned 2… actually today, but yesterday he had a little kid’s birthday party. There was a sprinkler and a little kids splash pool, and all the adults sat around and made chit chat and laughed at the youngins. Perhaps it’s just the difference already between my nephew and myself, but I really didn’t want the adult equivalent of that, I never have. My dream birthday is sitting around, reading a book, maybe a little time with good friends, and just relaxing and avoiding all cares and concerns. I did take my birthday off from work (unpaid, natch), because frankly, no one should have to deal with shitheads on their birthday.