I'm Older, You See

Welp, I'm 23 now.

I don't really feel much older. Maybe it's because I ate Eggo Waffles for breakfast in bed on Friday and went to see Beauty and the Beast at the Overture Center last night.

The song I reference in my title is Glenn Yarbrough's "Happy Birthday to Me" and I've grown up listening to it. The family of my BFOL (best friend of life) sings it for everyone in the family's birthday, year to year. (I am aware that I am including myself as a pseudo-family member here. We've know each other for 17 years, I think it's ok).

This year I was lucky enough to have the BFOL herself sing it to me! I just made this acronym up I think. Is it cool?

We really like each other. 

In the poem that precedes the song, the wise Glenn tells us "birthdays are not so much for children as they are for those of us who think we're children."

This year more than ever I felt this was true. I've done an extra-amount of growing up this past year, but I definitely still relate to my inner 5-year-old....and my birthday really gave me a chance to revel in my youth.

Not only did I get to go see Beauty and the Beast, but my lovely friends were kind enough to get me a tiara to wear during the whole performance. All the little girls were jealous.

The bartender told me he had never met a real princess before. Totally made his night I bet.

Anyway, part of the reason I love "Happy Birthday to Me" is because it reflects not on how much older we are getting, but rather how much we stay true to ourselves and maintain a sense of bit of naivete and innocence despite how much we grow.

So, in honor of Lindsey and this great tradition of singing, and to show the flip side of Katie's brillant plan to embrace old age (which I am totally on board with) I would like to offer some ways in which I remember to feel young once in awhile. I suggest you try some of them. They make life more fun!

1. Wear pajamas with a top and bottom. Especially ones that are fuzzy and have penguins on them.

2. Take any chance you can get to swing. I have no qualms about stopping in the middle of a run and swinging when I see a great playground.

3. Bake cookies that you used to make with your grandma. Eat a Cousin's sub because it reminds you of running errands with your mom when you were little. Have PB&J for lunch every once in a while. When you have to go to Ace Hardware because you're trying to decorate your new apartment, reward yourself with a big tootsie roll because that's what your dad used to do when you went with him.

4. When the snow comes, try not to get caught up how bad in makes your commute to work. Go sledding or ice skating. Make a snowman. Or snow angel!

I mean...you don't necessarily have to be good at ice skating to do it. 

5. Revel in other people's birthdays too. I've found that 20-something-year-old guys are particularly reluctant to celebrate their birthdays, but really, doesn't everyone like to feel special once in awhile?

Don't you wish you were the lucky guy that got this? To be fair, I didn't have an oven at the time. 

6. Wear fun socks.

7. Watch a chick flick in your pajamas while painting your nails. Call your best friend and talk about boys. Guys...skip the gym and go outside and play a game of pick-up football. (Ok.. is pick-up football a term? Or is it just pick-up basketball? Does football involve more planning?)

8. Blast your car radio and sing along on the way to work. I did that with this the other day and I swear, it started my whole day off better. Ok so maybe it's not "childish" to listen to "Ghetto Superstar." It's definitely not mature either. Or cool. Not really sure what that is actually...


Ok so...maybe I do some of these things more often than the average person should. My officemate did tell me that I sound like a muppet the other day. I've still got plenty of growing up to do.