The Alexander City Outlook

Birthdays are not just special to me

Next weekend marks another birthday for me and, in looking ahead on the calendar, I started wondering. What was I thinking?

It’s a funny thing these birthdays. Now, by no means am I complaining about my age, yet. Nor am I celebrating any momentous milestone, yet. But a birthday does make you think.

I can remember birthdays that I celebrated along side my sister. Her birthday and mine are roughly four weeks apart, so many times we would have one, larger party near her birthday for the entire family to get together.

I also remember what some of my wants were leading up to my birthday. I would want this gadget or this widget. I would want to do this or that event or go to this or that place.

The want would sometimes be a fleeting fad or some cool commercial I happened to catch while passing the television in the living room.

As the birthday number grew larger my wants seemed to decrease. Maybe there was just the want to be with friends at an “establishment” along the beach for a few “beverages.” Or maybe there was the want to play a quick round of golf, but nothing too extreme.

These days it appears the wants have become much simpler and less in number. Today there is the want to enjoy a relaxing weekend at home and maybe dinner with my wife.

There is the want (or need) to get some much-needed yard work done or even clean out that garage that has been three years in the making.

And as these wants and needs change it makes me wonder what my mom and dad were thinking roughly this time 32 years ago.

Here they were, my dad a police officer, my mother a school teacher, expecting their first child. They had been married little more then five years and they were getting ready for a pretty big change.

No matter what the birthday number of even the wants and needs, every birthday I can remember has revolved around wondering what was going through their minds on Sept. 9, 1974.

And wondering about that reminds me this particular date on the calendar isn’t special for me alone.