Birthdays: Who Needs Them?

Birthdays: Who Needs Them?

You say you have a birthday around the corner? You'll be how old? You say if you didn't have to depart this earthly realm to do it, you'd forget aboout birthdays altogether?

Birthdays are a fact of life. There is no getting around them. It's how we react to them that is interesting. You like to see them come? You ;like to see them go? Yolu don't like to see them at all?

There was a lady several years ago who decided she would take this birthday thing into her own hands. Though just 38 years-of-age, she told everyone she met that she was fifty. As far as she was concerned, that toolk care of twelve birthdays. The problem was that after four or five years, she couldn't remember how old she actually was.

Another lady decided on her fiftieth birthday that on each birthday after that she would become a year younger. Did she know something we don't? Before she passed away she acted very much like a child.

What do birthdays accomplish anyway? Yes, they tell us if we're young, old or in between, but why do we need to know? Why can't we simply live one day at a time and be happy?

When we're young, birthdays are exciting events. We look forward to parties with presents, cake and ice cream. We don't worry about the mess that's left behind. Mama takes care of that. In fact, we seem to have no worries at all.

Our teen years don't seem to come soon enough. We particularly look forward to sixteen when we can acquire a driver's license. "Look, everyone, I've got wheels," we announce.

We move onto eighteen. Wow! We can legally abuse our bodies with booze. This birthday also brings us the right to vote. We don't know anything about the politicians; but, hey, that sounds like a good name. I'll ex that one there.

Responsibility is the big word when we reach our twenties. Then suddenly, we're thirty. Where did the time go?. The forties begin to bring aches and pains. We move more slowly and complain a lot more. False teeth, glasses and hearing aids rule the day in our fifties and swixties; then we're told we must retire because we're old. But, if we didn't have birthdays, who would know how old we are?

Let's vote virthdays out so we can live happy and serene lives. Who needs them anyway?