Birthday Blues

When I was in my teens, I loved birthdays. I think that most people of that age do. When you’re young, parents pamper you, you have birthday parties with your best friends (and those that you decide to invite), cake, presents, you name it. Even in your teens your birthday is a likeable thing, where you tend to get away from the family nest, go party with friends, and do what you like. Sounds right, doesn’t it?

The trouble starts when you turn 22 or so. Suddenly you have responsibilities, either college or work-related. Then you’re 25, and birthdays aren’t so much fun anymore. By then some people probably have a family, which spells a whole new slew of responsibilities. Fun presents that you used to get when you were a teen, like that new Mazda, you can’t afford anymore, because it’s not in the family budget. Everything seems too expensive, and birthdays become more of a burden than a happy time of the year.

During your teenage years, time probably dragged like a snail and you couldn’t wait to be 20 or 21. After you turned 25, at least in my experience, time sped up at an incredible rate. Weeks flashed by and I couldn’t even remember as to what happened to my weekends.

 And let’s say that now you’re nearing 30 and start to silently freak out as the pressures from society, colleagues, friends and family descend upon you.

    "Don’t you think it’s time to have kids?"

    "Isn’t it time to leave that dead-end job and find something better?"

    "When I was your age, I bought a house. You still live in that ratty apartment."

And so on.

Yes, I think that there is a big amount of pressure on people that are about to turn 30. A lot of these folks also put an undue amount of stress on themselves, thinking that they need to be completely established by 30, in a brand-new house, in a dream job, with a nice car, two kids and a great husband. Then, when they don’t achieve this by the time they’re 30, they come unglued emotionally.

I say, everything needs to happen at its own time. Birthday is just the day you were born on, nothing more. It’s the society that tells us what to do and how to be at a certain age. I am turning 28 tomorrow, November 4, 2005, and I’ll be darned if I let that ruin my good mood. Sure, I have a good job, and a great husband, but I also drive a used car and live in an apartment instead of a fancy house. So what? It works for me.

So happy birthday to all of you November people, and don’t stress about birthdays if you have that tendency. Life needs to be lived to the fullest, and your age shouldn’t be the indicator of your success in life.