It's My Birthday Too, Yeah!

Well, hello there, poppets! It is my birthday today, so I am in a mood to discuss birthdays which, at least in the Anglo-Saxon world, appear to be more important to girls than to guys. I will not state categorically that birthdays are more important to girls than to guys because I try to save my gross generalizations for more important stuff.

Anyway, when you are Single, but sometimes also when you are married, because of the guys-not-always-getting-the-importance-of birthdays factor, making the most of your birthday is up to you. Not telling anybody it is your birthday and then getting more and more depressed all day about an uncaring world before crying yourself asleep at night is just plain wrong.

Forget that. If you are the sort of woman--like me--who cares about birthdays and thinks of her birthday--as I think of my birthday--as a temporal extension of her very SELF, then you have to do a lot of prep.

First of all, you have to let everybody know that your birthday is coming up. Facebook has made this easier than ever, for Facebook can tell all your Facebook friends for you. But you can also let your friends know by inviting them to a par-tay. Unless you are up to 90% certain your best pals are throwing you a surprise party, you have to do this yourself. Frankly, I don't think it matters who organizes it, just as long as it is organized.

Second of all, you must buy yourself a little present. Or several little presents. Or a big present. I, for example, bought myself a manicure. For one shining hour this morning, I sat across from a very nice manicurist, an excellent conversationalist, and watched the transformation of my fingernails. And yesterday I popped into a charity shop and, seeing the perfect little green dress for £6.50, bought it to wear today.

Third of all, you must do a birthday thing on your actual birthday. My birthday dinner has been moved to Friday night because of the difficulties of having a party on Thursday night when 90% of our parties end at 2 AM. But, you know, Friday is not my birthday. If you are a birthday purist, as am I, it is okay to have delayed birthday celebration, but only if you do something nice on your birthday. So I had lunch out with B.A. and coffee out with a friend who can't make it tomorrow.

And now another friend has dropped by as a surprise and I must go...!