Happy Birthday

It was happy until you spoke up.

As an adult, I hardly care for birthdays. Remember in the movie Kung Fu Panda when Po learned the secret ingredient in Secret Ingredient Soup? His "dad" tells him the secret ingredient is nothing. He explains that in order to make something special, you just have to think it's special. Some people think birthdays are special. Some people don't. I'm in the latter group. I doubt it has anything to do with my upbringing or my resentment of my own culture, I just don't think the yearly anniversary of my birth has any significance.

What else? I also don't like to celebrate "special" occasions either. If I could choose how I get to celebrate some special event, I would choose to celebrate by skipping the celebration. This includes everything from New Year's Day to New Year's Eve as well as graduations, weddings, miscellaneous anniversaries, baby showers, other people's birthdays, retirements, job promotions, the coming of age, "first somethings," whatever.

What might I actually be interested in celebrating then? Not even events that are significant to me or people who are special to me. Seriously. A friend of mine and I have agreed that we are not obligated to tend each others' weddings. I at least have a personality type where I generally find these sorts of things physically and mentally unpleasant. Additionally, I honestly do resent these things because of the obligation. Because of people and society, I have no choice. I'm made to feel bad if I get my way and do nothing.

Now, define celebration: Pizza, soda, and a movie while curled up with a good blanket on the couch, even though I might do that whenever I want anyway. I could treat myself to a little gift such as a new tool or clothes or shoes or a game or a book. I'm a person of simple needs.

Still want to get me a good birthday gift? Pretend it's not my birthday. I mean it. I just had a thought: I wonder how it would feel to celebrate my birthday 6 months later? Somehow, I think it would feel weird at first, but I could probably stomach it more. I appreciate things that are arbitrary.