Random Birthday

I think I used to like birthdays...

I don't remember my 5th birthday.
But I know there was cake, my family sang Happy Birthday to me, and there was a present.

That's how all our birthdays were.
Pretty quiet, and just family.
Cake and a present.

That's all I really needed.

*****

Until my 10th birthday.
Mom let me have a party. And she let me invite everyone in my class.
All 20 of them. Boys and girls.
There was cake.

But, once all the presents were opened, the two popular girls squealed like... well, like school girls... and ran off to hide in the barn.
Everyone else chased after them.
All 18 of them.

Left alone, at my own birthday party, I went to my room where no one even noticed I was gone.

*****

For my 16th birthday, I'd hoped I'd get a nice invitation from a cute boy to do something. Movie? Mini golf? Dinner at McDonald's?
Anything...

After all, it was my "sweet sixteenth".

Two boys that I adored did give me very sweet gifts (that I still have, btw).
And my parents tried to come up with something special for me.
They took me to the county fair.
It was something.
I think they had hoped the grandstand entertainment would be something a teenage girl would be interested in, but no.
That night was lady mud wrestling.
Which would have been great if I had been someone like Harvey or Contagion.

But I'm a girl.
I cried all the way home.
My parents felt miserable. I know they did.

*****

The day before my 20th birthday, I went to visit my cousin at her college dorm.
I remarked, "It's weird to think that after today, I won't be a teenager ever again."
She said, "Why? Is it your birthday or something?"

*****

Turning 21 was actually pretty decent.

I reported for my first day of work at my first paying radio job the night before my birthday.
My friend Whoopie, who had turned 21 exactly one month earlier, met me after my shift (which ended at midnight) so we could go out at 12:01am and order our first legal strawberry daiquiris.

I got carded.

With much pomp, I slapped down my driver's license.
The bartender examined it and said, "You're not 21 until tomorrow."
And I replied smugly, "It's past midnight. Technically, it's already tomorrow, which is my birthday. I've been 21 for five minutes!"
He said, "Cool. Happy birthday, then." And started grinding ice for our drinks.

*****

On my 35th birthday, I told my children that I wouldn't be having any more birthdays. When they asked why, I told them with a straight face that women only have 35 birthdays, and then we don't have any more. So, no matter how old a woman looks, she's always 35 years old.

Six months later, Elder Son asked me how old I was.
"I'm 35."
"No, no," he said. "I mean, if you got old like other people, how old would you be now?"

*****

Last year, I told the husband, "I'm turning 40, and I want a party. I want presents, and I want cake, and I want all my friends to come over."

That man of mine did a wonderful job!

And not one of my friends ran off to chase popular girls.

*****

Today is my birthday, again.
So far, the husband has given me the best present EVER!
He didn't make me go camping with him and his best friend last night when the temps hit 32 degrees.


Happy Birthday to me.