Birthdays

Some say, that the older you get, birthdays become just another day. I still like mine even though being middle-aged is a bit of a trip! I like to look back to birthdays past, remembering the celebrations and celebrating how far I have come. Some birthdays stand out, like my 12th birthday when a blizzard hit the night of my slumber party and what was supposed to be a one night gig turned into a weekend because we were snowed in. I got a green percolating curling iron and burger cooker that year.

Then there was my 16th birthday where I convinced my conservative parents to let me have a party. We lived amongst the pines and a dense wooded area. I had friends that were jocks and preps and had also befriended a few stoners too. The older stoner kids hung out in the woods drinking. I spent my evening going back and forth between my house and the woods entertaining two seperate groups of people who didn't care for each other much. I look back now and think what in the world was I thinking? I was no more a stoner or a drinker than the man on the moon! Sad how you will do anything to be accepted in high school. My parents never figured it out which was crazy!

Next up, the 21st birthday. Definetly a colorful one. My mom had bought me a cute outfit that came with a black bolero hat. (it was 1989 and quite the trend!)She took me to dinner at my favorite Mexican place before I was to meet my friends Chuck and Carmine to go out. As I mentioned before, my mom was conservative so I was surprised when she agreed to have an alcoholic beverage with me. We both got margaritas and when the waitress asked if we wanted a floater I said yes. My mom had no idea what a floater was, but I did! (an extra shot of tequila) I was determined to lighten her butt up! When it was time to pay the bill, the waitress recognized me and said, "you are just NOW 21?" I had been going for months without being carded..HA HA My mother was not amused. She dropped me off at Chuck and Carmines and well the rest of it was a blur that ended with Carnine and I hunched over the toilet while her husband took care of us. Crazy to think that drinking yourself to the point of being ill would be any kind of fun.

Today I turned 42. So many friends called and wrote messages wishing me a happy birthday. It was the best day ever. Its a day that beat out any burger cooker in a blizzard, stoner/jock party with a tequila floater on top! Growing older is quite the adventure...the older I get the more I like myself. I give God the glory for that miracle thats been 42 years in the making!