By The Way...

Friday, May 11, 2007
10:34:00 AM EDT
Hearing Embraceable You -- Scott Hamilton


You'll remember that yesterday was my birthday, and it was a fine one, indeed, since I came home from a long trip and got to spend time with my family. And reflecting on such a fine birthday clearly necessitated the need for a birthday-related Weekend Assignment!

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.

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

The birthday that sticks out the most in my mind is my 17th, in which a whole bunch of friends got together to buy me a drumset, which I was flummoxed over and which I still even now totally appreciate (I still have the drumset - it's downstairs in the basement, and I'll still go down from time to time to bash the skins a bit). I also remember my 11th birthday because of a fictional reason; when I was 10 I had read The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, in which the main character, young Will Stanton, received his special magical powers when he turned 11. Now, reasonably I didn't expect to get superpowers of my own when I was eleven. But you know what? I was paying attention, just in case.

Finally, I found that 35 was an interesting birthday. It was the birthday after which I could run for President of the United States, you know, if I ever wanted to (I don't, really). It was interesting for me because I think 35 is really the last outpost of "youth," for whatever that means, and after that, you should damn well better be in the swing of being an adult. Fortunately for me, when I turned 35, my first novel was about to be published, I was happily married with a great kid, and basically all the grown-up stuff was chugging along nicely. It was like a system check, and all systems were go. It was nice, you know?

The one I'm looking forward to: 40. the 30s have been good to me, and I'm curious how my 40s will go. I'll try not to have a mid-life crisis, I promise.

You're up: Recount some interesting or memorable birthdays. Write 'em up in your blog or journal, and then come back here and leave a link!


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This entry has 13 comments: (Add your own)

• #13 Comment from lurkynat 
  5/19/07 1:56 AM | Permalink

  Dear John,
  Hummmm.. good questions! thanks!
  javascript:openBlogThis('/_do/blog_this', 'Blog_This', 'http://journals.aol.com/lurkynat/Interface/entries/2007/05/19/what-favortie-birthday-tale-can-you-tell-usjohn-scalzis-assignments/1545', 'What Favortie Birthday Tale can you Tell Us?:John Scalzi\'s assignments');
  natalie
• #12 Comment from jmorancoyle 
  5/12/07 10:57 PM | Permalink

  http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay/entries/2007/05/12/weekend-assignment-165-memorable-birthdays/2101
  Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear, John! Happy birthday to you!
  Jude
• #11 Comment from jevanslink 
  5/12/07 4:55 PM | Permalink

  http://journals.aol.com/jevanslink/AskMrsLinklater/entries/2007/05/12/havent-done-one-of-these-in-awhile/2660
  
  You get rusty when you don't do these regularly.  
  Mrs. L
• #10 Comment from hewasolddog299 
  5/12/07 1:04 PM | Permalink

  Welcome home and happy birthday, John. I hope you get to celebrate many more.
  
  http://dailysnooze.blogspot.com/2007/05/john-m_11.html
  
  wil
• #9 Comment from anaedream 
  5/12/07 9:32 AM | Permalink

  Here is mine!
  
  http://anaedream.com/2007/05/12/weekend-assignment-165-memorable-birthdays/
  
  Have a great weekend.
  
  Kate
  
  

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