As the title of this blog entry suggests, today is my birthday. My 27th birthday to be exact. It's strange because it doesn't feel like a birthday, at least not in the sense that we're used to as kids. When I was younger, my birthday was exciting. I started counting down at least a month before and made sure everyone around me was aware of the date. (After all, a majority of my birthdays existed in a pre-Facebook-reminder era). For example:
10 YEARS AGO.....
It was my 17th birthday. I was counting down the final week that stood between me and my drivers license (which I got on Halloween that year). I was a senior in high school starting to look at colleges. I can't remember what I did for my actual birthday, but I know that it was in a time where multiple birthday parties existed (one for friends, one for family, and then the cake on my actual birthday). I'm sure all of my friends got together and we either did something at the house or all went to the movies or something.
20 YEARS AGO....
It was my 7th birthday. My reign as an "only child" was coming to an end (my mom was pregnant with my sister at the time, whom entered our lives on June 20, 1992). I had just started school in a public school, changing from the Catholic school I attended for Kindergarten and 1st grade (the school had closed, and we moved from our tiny apartment to a two-family across from my new school). I was taking ballet/tap/jazz classes with Ms. Brown (may she rest in peace) and more than likely had a birthday party including new school friends and people from my dance class.
There have been a few constants in terms of Birthday celebrations over the years, despite changes in circumstances:
1) The birthday girl always gets to choose where to go for dinner (when I was younger, it might have been choosing what we had for dinner, but I don't remember too much from that point).
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| This year I chose Yamato's (hibachi) |
2) The birthday girl always gets "control" of things such as tv/radio/what movies to watch on their birthday.
3) Choice of birthday cake (I used to go for the ice cream cake, then it was yellow cake with chocolate frosting and bananas, and now since I've been living in the south it is red velvet with cream cheese icing).
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| Here is an old-school pic from a birthday party |
Most of my birthdays have gone really well. There were a few that had a bit of a bumpy ride. For example:
- When I was younger (somewhere between 8-12) I had a pinata and one of my friends was accidentally given a black eye by another friend at the party (damn blindfolds and wiffle ball bats).
- My 21st birthday was a bunch of crap: my mom was sick so my parents and sisters didn't come out for my birthday dinner (I was away at school), my bf at the time didn't care if we did anything for my birthday because it was "just another day on the calendar" and ended up being guilted into taking me to dinner, where I proceeded to cry...
- My 23rd birthday was spent as my first day as a waitress (after moving to South Carolina only weeks earlier)
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| the location at which I was a waitress |
One thing I can say is that I have gotten some pretty good birthday gifts. At 13, my mom got me birthstone earrings. At 21, I got a necklace and matching earrings. Somewhere around my 20th or 21st birthday my best friend (and a future bf) took me to get my belly button pierced (strangest gift to date, and it came out about a year later..it clearly didn't want to be there). I've always loved the cards I've gotten from friends and family as well.
Now, a rant about birthdays in this 21st century of ours: Facebook is the devil when it comes to birthdays. Of course it works to my advantage because they politely remind me when friends and friends-of-friends/acquaintances have birthdays, but it leaves me skeptical on my birthday. How many people on my friends list actually know my birthday? How many of them do I talk to on a somewhat regular basis? How many are writing on my wall simply to look good and have no interest in the fact that it's my birthday? Either way, it is kind of fun to see all the people that post on your wall.
Oh, and one more rant: the one thing I want for my birthday I can't have. At least not right now. That would be something that I can keep forever, that will love me unconditionally (although sometimes they might not exactly want to), and that is currently thousands of miles away: JP. Two simple letters. But one not-so-simple individual. Not that it's a bad thing. While it sucks that he can't be here for this birthday, he promises (and I will hold him to it) that he will be there for every birthday to follow (as well as Thanksgivings, Christmases, New Year's Eves, etc). He is the sweetest man I have known. We both know that what we have is the reason why no other relationships of ours have worked. It's because we were both passing time to get to this one.
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And another random birthday picture (can you find me?) |
