It’s January again. Number 66 for me. Some Januaries have been more memorable than others, but in my wildest dreams, I can’t seem to name more than 10. It’s a fact then: Perception is different than fact.
I wonder if our entire lives are a bit like that. YIKES! I don’t really want to think about that. Well, maybe a little bit…
The weather is brutally cold and this year, it’s been more unpredictable. We haven’t been able to plan very much as the weather keeps us from keeping all those wild and wonderful plans. 
My birthdays: One year, a friend gave me tickets for 4 to see Rita McNeil. 3 of the 4 concert goers had to turn around and head home in a white-out. I roped an acquaintance into coming to the show with me and called my daughter and her beau to join us. (They were in their early 20’s, so I actually had to beg them.) The show was very good. I got a parking ticket and a few gray hairs skidding through the snowy city streets and expressways, and vowed to never try to celebrate my January birthday again. This is one of the 10 birthdays I can actually remember, so the other 9 may be similar. But it doesn’t matter, at least, I had my girls in May and August, so they weren’t destined to life long disappointment.
My 14th birthday.There was a school dance the night of my birthday and I came down with the mumps. The mumps! Fever, sick as a dog, determined to go to that dance, but I just couldn’t get up. Unfair? I thought I was scarred for life. At 14, that was about 2 days…
My 21st- It felt special but we were just too poor to celebrate. We were probably snowed in anyway.
My 50th- My Company gave me a Concord watch, to celebrate my sales performance of the previous year. Nice. Later that day, I took a leave of absence for 2 weeks, suffering from high blood pressure and nervous exhaustion.
My 55th- 1998 Ice Storm. We were in the dark triangle for 21 days. Seriously, can it get any worst than that? (See my January 2008 post for Ice Storm details)
I’ll run out of brain cells…or readers before I recall any more. I refuse to complain though.
HERE I AM !!!
Where ever you are in the world, whenever your birthday is on the calendar or in the climate~
Enjoy your special day, know that you are a special person, a one-of-a-kind!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
PAT
and PS: There’s more snow in the forecast. It’s not looking good for the February and March revellers either.
January 30, 2009 at 4:29 pm |
Belated Happy Birthday! Interesting to try to remember specific birthdays – I find I really can’t remember many. And trying to remember which months I remember – I think that’s hard, memories sometimes come associated with months, although not always. Often my memories are associated with places and people, and maybe the general time of year, maybe not the exact month. Interesting.
January 30, 2009 at 6:59 pm |
Hi, Thanks & so nice to hear from you.
Our family moved 16 times in the first 18 years of my life. One year did not resemble the last. I always know exactly where I was when I hear certain songs. “Splish Splash”, & “Get a Job” 1957 Kakabeka Falls,ON. etc. “Hound Dog”, “All Shook up”, “Where the Boys are”, “Sixteen Candles” all evoke teen memories (and angst). Ha Ha. I started keeping a mini diary in 2005, with hi-lights of the month, both personal and world. Little notes that I find are really helpful to recall a time and place. The gray matter is melting by now. All I need to remember is to take out the diary.
I enjoy your blog even though I don’t always “get it”.
Keep blogging!
I visited today, wanted to leave a message and was stymied. Do I leave my user name “littlepatti” and URL:http://littlepatti.wordpress.com ?
(Well now you understand why I don’t always “get it.”
Please let me know.
P.S: I liked the maps of places I’ve visited but Canada was not on the world map.
January 30, 2009 at 10:53 pm |
I think if you did just what you said, that would not only show “littlepattie” but should link to your blog. That is, click “Name/URL” then fill in littlepattie, then add the URL, if you want to (don’t have to). Thanks for reading. I’ve been a bit out of touch. I have added your feed to my google reader so I won’t miss out!
Yeah, songs can trigger memories – places and years or at least approximate dates. I used to know the dates on all my important songs! My early songs overlap with yours probably: Tell Laura I Love Her, Never on a Sunday, Do the Watusi, Soldier Boy – those are some of the earliest I think, from grade school.
And thanks for your earlier email!