I have spent my life going back and forth about birthdays. When I was young, I had a pool, there was one year there was a pony, and another year a clown. And still, I always envied my brother's parties since he had his birthday close enough to Halloween that he had theme parties. It was awesome...
So the last parties when I was young for my birthday were a little less than fun. one that sticks out in my mind is the year my mother wished to surprise me with a party. I found out about it. (to date, no one has ever actually surprised me with a party.) I found out that my brother was in charge of inviting everyone for my party. I told my brother to make sure he invited my 2 best friends who I always hung out with. The day arrived for the party, and my friends weren't there. In fact, they were all my brother's friends that I knew only by association. I called my friends and found that they were never invited. I left my own party before cake and ice cream to go hang out with my friends. My mother was pissed, and I was more than angry.
The next year was better because I ditched the house and went to hang with my friends making it clear that I was having friends over at his place for my birthday. It was my 16th, and my dad showed up. he gave us money for chips and soda.
The year after, my mother was going to have a party again, but I made it perfectly clear that I did not wish for one. So, she made plans to go out of town for the weekend and bought a whole shit load of junk food and soda just in case I wanted to have friends over. I spent the weekend at my friend's house instead and actually got scolded for NOT having a party!
Since that year, I have avoided the whole birthday thing. But then, last year as I was reading the Satanic Bible, I realized that I should really make it a big deal. So for the first time since I was a little kid, I decided to celebrate openly the day of my birth since it was the most important event in my life! So, I found out my wife was planning a party for me, I just didn't know when and where at first. I figured she would have planned something on any other day other than my birthday because I needed to work 1st thing in the morning (6am), but I was wrong. And it ended up being the most embarrassing event in the history of birthdays.
My wife had evidently sent a message via Facebook to all of our mutual friends that she was planning something. That was how I found out about her plans. Then, on my birthday, she suggested we head out to the bar that I once had worked at and knew the employees and owner. I figured she had the plans worked out for there on the night of my birthday. Okay. So we show up, and I figure we must be early since there is only one other person there at the time. (that person being the ex-wife of a good friend, and I can't say that I could care less to be around her.) There is a big ass Star Trek cake and the whole deck has been reserved for my party... that no one showed up for.
I was so embarrassed. I cut the cake when we realized not a soul was coming out, and I spent most of the night listening to my wife and my friend's ex talk about Avon. Bored, pissed, rejected, alone and other words would describe best how I felt about that night. I was so angry that I posted a comment on my facebook berating all my friends for choosing not to show up.
The next morning I found several replies that basically said, "huh? what party?"
So it turned out that my wife never got back to most of the people who said they would come if they had details, and she never actually went through my list of friends to invite people. I can't really explain the feelings I had about the whole mess, and who I was pissed off at. In fact, I still get angry about the whole incident. But the worst part is that I am so embarrassed about the whole event that I have not gone back to that bar of my own volition since.
And so, as my next birthday approaches, I feel that i should do something to avoid this whole cluster-fuck once again as I did when I turned 16. I've still got almost 2 months... so we'll just have to see.
In the mean time, buy some cure!
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