The last topic given to me. Birthdays, to me, are primarily associated with travelling. This started because my Aged Parents were in fact very young parents when they had me, at the start of their 20s, and so had all the youthful earnestness to do it right. So when, say, the entire family was in Northern Germany celebrating an uncle's 60th birthday who just happened to have it on the day before mine, and their spoiled brat of a daughter wanted to have her birthday at home, well, my parents drove through the night so that said brat could have her birthday at home in the German south, and were ready to cope with a children's birthday party, complete with games and food preparation, on the next morning.

(I actually wasn't that keen on birthday parties as a child, because I was something of an outsider in primary school and grammar school alike, and it felt very awkward to be at a party and be convinced everyone else there didn't really like you. But how could I say that when my parents were crossing the entire country on my behalf? They were very keen on me socializing and very concerned about the lack of close friends, which meant they made sure I went to every birthday party I was ever invited to as well. Two fathers of my classmates caught me in their respective libraries where I had sneaked off to in order to read while everyone else was partying, promptly marched me back to join the respective parties, and tell the anecdote to this day whenever we meet.)

The APs and myself all have our birthdays in September, which means we usually celebrate one of them (my father's, unless my mother or myself have one with a zero or a five attached) and make a one week trip (i.e. between my mother's birthday and my own) far, far away afterwards, which is far more fun than organizing a party would be more me and my mother. Mind you, the last time I did have a birthday with a zero attached, the party WAS fun, and I was a pile of sentimental goo. (At last birthday party compatible at 40!) Generally, though, I am very happy to spend my birthdays in lots of different places all over the world, which is a present in itself.

Had a stressful couple of days while my personal year is coming to a close; tomorrow is my birthday. Right now, I’m in Berlin with the Aged Parents. Which means very little online time. But I did have the occasion to watch the new BSG, finally.

( Pegasus )