Yup, today is my birthday. Yay me.
Aren't adult birthdays pretty much non-events? At least they always have been for me. I see all the TV shows and movies where they make a HUGE deal out of birthdays and it just doesnt fit with my life, or most of my friends either.
I don't really celebrate my birthdays. It's not that I don't like them or anything; It's that most of my birthdays since I was 13 have been REALLY SHITTY. Either that, or I've been really busy with other things, and I jsut didnt have the time or energy etc...
I don't know why, it just seems like bad shit happens to me on or around my birthday, and it leaves a bad taste or something. So I'm usually looking over my shoulder a lot today.
I've only had two parties in the last 15 years; one in the AF (any excuse for a party, believe me) and one thrown by my now ex wife; and both were fun but nothing major.
Usually the only gifts I recieve are nominal amounts of cash, though the occaisonal book, CD, DVD or video game has come into play; and when I was married my wife got me a few kinda cool things. My amazon wish list has played a significant role in my birthdays for some time as well; which reminds me I need to update it one of these days.
My former girlfriend Antje was good with birthdays and holidays too. One year when I was working in Manhattan she got me the helicopter tour of new york for christmas (which happened to ber HER birthday as well; or actually christmas eve).
Today will be no different. I used to have a bunch of friends in the area; but just about everyone has moved away 'cept John O'c; the consequence of college friends, eventually they move away from the college; and of tech friends, eventually they move where they get better jobs.
Actually that's an intresting one to consdier; maintaining close friendships in our highly mobile society. I've been best friends with Jim since we were 7 years old. There have been times when we havent seen each other for three years at a time; or called each ther for months; but it's never had the slightest effect on our friendship. I haven't seen my friend Mike B. for 8 years, but we still talk online all the time, and we're still great friends. He's asked me to be his best man 4 times, though none of the engagements ever made it to the altar yet (Mike is a hopeless romantic, but not a great judge of women, complicated by the fact that he's a mormon; I love him anyway though).
There are other friends I have who I haven't seen or heard from in years, but I KNOW that when I do again, it will be like we never parted.
Others, I'm sure will barely remember who I am.
Anyway it's jsut somethign interesting to think about.
So what I was rambling on about was that I probably wont do anything tonight. I'm going to go see my mom after work; but my brother will already be at work (he's a line cook at a Fridays; hates the job. He's an honest to god sous chef, but he can'[t find a decent gig), so I wont get to see him. I don't think I've even mentioned my birthday to John -- maybe a few weeks ago I said something, and I may have mentioned it chatting online; although he reads this page so he knows now -- Hi John; not that I didn't want him to know, it's jsut not a big deal.
I think the only thing I'm going to do myself to celebrate is head down to my gun club for my free machine gun rental. Its been a few months since I've been able to do any rock and roll.
See, though my club CAN be a pain in the ass; it has some benefits.
So I say again, yeah verily; happy birthday to me. Here's to another year of not dying.
Posted by cbyrne at April 27, 2005 07:20 AM | TrackBack