04-02-2011 – “Hey, it’s my birthday! Aren’t I cool?”

It's funny how everything is so relative. One guy exclaimed, "Wow, I didn't know you are that old. I thought you were in your twenties." Another friend – a bit older as you can imagine – said, "I don't even want to know how disgustingly young you are." I honestly don't have any old/young opinion about my age. I feel good. I look good. And several months ago I noticed that I started responding "37" to the question "How old are you?" So as far as I'm concerned, today didn't bring me any new status.

Some people don't like their birthdays. I love mine. I like the special treatment. I like the love floating around me all day. I like the gifts. And this year they were super wonderful, too: the practical dry backpack from Liang (finally, the right one, just like I wanted!), the romantic dawn dive with Javier, the stylish necklace from Cindy, the heart-shaped slate from Sallye, one night in the eco-hotel of Cozumel from Ana (!). No, I don't like gifts, I LOVE gifts, small or large, they just make me so happy! I like the good food, alwaysJ. We went to La Perlita and I had shrimp wrapped in bacon and dipped in cheese... So what's not to like?

One of the virtual gifts I received today was this list of Five Things to Do On Your Birthday. I always do #4, don't care about #2, have been following #5 advice for the past couple of years, and don't require any special effort for #3. But #1 is my favorite. Why haven't I ever thought of it myself!

1. Buy someone else a present, preferably the person who makes you most happy to be alive.
   
2. Eat cake if you're under 18 or over 75. If you're in between, these are your years of discipline and clarity. Look at that pretty mass of sludge and goo for what it is.
   
3. Ask yourself where you came from and where you're going. If the answer is, "I don't know," spoken with marvel and wonder, you're on the right track.
   
4. Thank your mother. Chances are the occasion you're celebrating was a pretty arduous day for her.
   
5. Be a child. Hang balloons outside your door. Announce to random strangers that it's your birthday. Okay, even eat the artery clogging, blood sugar elevating, thigh thickening cake if you have to. And if there aren't any random strangers around, announce it on your blog: Hey, it's my birthday! Aren't I cool?