My Way

                         

     Weekend Assignment #165: You've had your share of birthdays by now. Relate one or two that stick out in your mind. Could be a happy birthday, or an important birthday, or a birthday when something interesting but unrelated happened. Any interesting birthday works.

    A few entries back I wrote about a birthday when I was young that my friends had gotten together and all bought me a collection of stuffed animals. I had given each the same brand of animal for their birthdays. So they correctly assumed that I really liked stuffed animals.

     My 18th birthday was special to me as well. When I was in high school, my two closest friends were guys, Tom and Bob, and neither could stand the other. They hung with different groups, which meant that I split my time between both. I graduated that year from school, and very soon after moved out of town. I worked, dated Bill, and tried to keep in contact with both groups. I soon lost touch with my friends. My birthday came in July, and even by that early date, I didn't see much of them. Bob and Tom organized a surprise party for me at my new apartment. Just prior to their arrival, I spilled hot soup all over my hand. They brought pizza and pop, and I spent the night with my hand in a bowl of ice water while swapping insults and telling stories, playing records (dear God I'm getting old!), and poker, and enjoying each other's company. I remember being disappointed because Laurie and her sister, Mickey, couldn't make it. Lau went to meet them, and he and I walked out to his car when he left. As we stood in front of his car talking, he came to realize that his keys were not in his pocket, but locked inside his car. I laughed as he attempted to tear the canvas roof off the car to get at the keys. When I reached inside his fly window to remove the keys from the ignition, he turned bright red and I laughed even harder. It was a great night.

     I think of these people often now and wonder what they did with their lives. I hate the idea of living for the past. It's just that as my kids are developing friendships and having good times, I'm reminded of those times when I was the same age. I'm glad my kids are building memories like these. They will last a life time. 

     Another birthday that is special to me was when all three of my babies were small. I worked at that 'Oh Thank Heaven' store as a clerk. At the time Bill worked two part time jobs. As usual, we were broke. He was just back to work after his first illness, which happened shortly after Becky was born. Anyway, I wasn't expecting anything. It was a bad time and I was in a funk. My sister-in-law, Debbie, showed up at work with balloons and a bouquet. I hadn't told anyone it was my birthday. My coworkers put together a small celebration for me. When I walked in the back door later, Bill blew off a confetti filled popper and the boys jumped out at me, yelling, "Surprise!" I laughed and grabbed each of them and tickled. They had a small decorated cake and a present. It was only typing paper, but that small gift meant a lot because I needed it the most right then. 

     Then again there was last year in Philadelphia. We toured a haunted prison during the day, and had a beef steak sandwich for dinner. Later Becky and I took a ghost tour. We had a lot of fun and we heard a lot of stories. All about statues of Benjamin Franklin walking, about Revolutionary War socialites still dancing, about missionairies taking care of unmarried expectant mothers a hundred years ago, and also a great story about a womanwho still walks through the streets calling for families to bring out their loved ones who died from the flu the night before. Anyway, after being very careful not to trip over the cobble stones in most of the streets, I tripped over smooth black top in the middle of a more modern street. And I couldn't get up! It was a busy street and I was terrified. I blocked traffic in every direction for a good five minutes as I laid there and screamed at the top of my lungs. You better believe I had a reason to. I figured if the drivers couldn't see me, they would hear me. I can be very loud. Anyway, I survived.

     Extra Credit: What birthday are you looking forward to? Numerically, I mean.

     I'm 51 now. If I have to pick a number, it might be 80, or better, but only if I'm healthy enough to enjoy it.

|  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

• #1 Comment from monponsett 
  5/14/07 1:33 PM | Permalink

  That's a bad cade of Lapped Clique. Cliques are like male Siamese Fighting Fish... you have to sort of keep them in separate tanks.