Red Deer Reality Rant #64 - Birthday Woes

Hello fellow Red Deerians. It’s been stifling hot here in my home so bear with me if I seem a tad off today. However I will do my best to bring you what you expect from this blog. For today’s post I would like to be on the theme of an overrated subject: birthdays. Maybe I am just grumpy because it happens that my birthday is coming up this Saturday, nevertheless I would like to share my views on this so called personal “holiday”.

I do believe that it’s perfectly fine for children to have birthday parties and presents and all of the hoo ha that comes with it. But there comes a point in a person’s life where birthdays just aren’t as much fun anymore, or that you don’t really feel the need to advertise your age or that unless you are very old there’s not a lot to be proud of. I think that is just where I am at this year, too old for a birthday party and too young for it to be an event.

I have family and friends that do like to give me gifts and on the dreaded day, there is a picnic or a dinner of some kind. I am not ungrateful for these sentiments but I do believe they are unnecessary. Maybe when I get to the age of 80 or more and with my state of being it becomes a miracle that I am alive there will be cause for celebration. Until then I do graciously accept the tokens from my friends and family, but with a bit of a heavy heart because I know that none of them have much money.

But life is about experience. I will experience this Saturday and try to cheer up before then. It is very lucky for me to have my birthday in July. We can all go out and have a picnic in one of the many parks here in Red Deer, providing that the weather cooperates. Red Deer parks are also all very beautiful in the summer so I should have no cause to grump. I know that I should be thankful that I did live to be another year older but honestly I don’t see how at my age it is much of an accomplishment.

That being said, I am grateful for my friends and family. And I am grateful that I have a home with two furry friends and one human. There’s food in my fridge and my enormous collection of art and craft supplies. So I don’t really have a good reason to complain although birthdays do seem to put me in a mood. Next week I will likely be back to writing a more usual Rant, or possibly a Rave depending upon how my weekend goes. Until then, stay happy, stay brilliant and as always stay brutal!

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