Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Jump On The Bandwagon And Choose Earthdays Over Birthdays

WOW!!! Have you noticed that is what most parents say when they realize their wee ones are having a birthday? We are faced with not only with our children having a birthday but that means we have another year to add to us. Of course us as parents have long since stopped having birthdays and don't like to be reminded of such nonsense. OK well, at least I have. Yes, my babies keep increasing their age by numbers but the older kids have jumped on my "ban-wagon" and stopped keeping track of how many years have flipped by. Let’s correct that I have just gotten some of wee ones to jump on now. Love my parental influence.

I have 5 babies that will be having birthdays this next month. I'm happy they are here to enjoy them but I think we should throw the age and birthday thing out the door. I have called my birthday my "Earthday" for years. I never have to think about my age until someone asks me and it always happens. How old are you? How old are your kids? You don't look old enough to have that many kids and you surely are not old enough to be a grandma, another word that I don't use. LOL I get asked this because I was blessed with looking young and acting even younger. Mostly because I refuse to grow up or grow; won’t use the other word.

I guess if society as a whole was not so stuck on the age thing and everything was not centered on having fewer wrinkles and being young I could handle it. I have had this age issue since I was 13. Yeap, when I turned 13 I decided to stop having the birthday thing and stopped telling people how old I was. Seriously at times I have forgotten. Of course until I have to flip out my drivers license or at my doctors office. Yes, here I'm sitting in the office and they announced my birthday to everyone and continued to do the same to everyone. I happened to be the youngest there and the most applaud or the one that has a big enough mouth to say something. Well, did they get a huge ear full from me. I even told them that I would refuse to go back if they kept this up. They have since stopped doing this. I thought it was just wrong. If I wanted everyone to know my freakin age I would plaster it to my shirt. NOT.

Even though I gotten many compliments it doesn't matter because at some point people start saying you’re too old for this and that. They attach age to everything even if age has nothing to do with what is going on with you or the situation.
When I first started having kids I got harassed because I was a baby having a baby by most standards. Then I got told I was too old to have a baby and how did I expect to carry my child's luggage to their dorm room, nothing like a slap in the face. I had years to go before I would even turn 4....well you know what I'm trying to say. On the other hand, many use age as an excuse not to do something. I can't go back to school, change jobs, have kids, move, etc. because I'm too old. Everyone is an age critic.


Don't get me wrong I'm thankful to be here because I'm not ready to be pushing up the daisies yet. But for us chronologically challenged people and for society as a whole I think the world would be a better place if we got rid of the age stigma. If people just looked at people for who they are and for the knowledge that they posses, instead of attaching an age to it. My personal step to becoming deliriously happy creating happy thoughts and free from age restrictions.

2 comments:

Kristine said...

I agree that our society needs to step back from the idea of youth. Other cultures treat their older citizens as wise authorities because of life experience. Great blog post!

Guest said...

What is an Earthday? (You can tell me on twitter.) This weekend I was told at 37 I'm old. That made me want to get rid of birthdays and the stigma they bring. I understand the idea of releasing the concept of age though I think I'd miss not celebrating my birthday. Despite celebrating being alive year 'round, my birthday allows me to gather people around to party because I was born. Yes, it's selfish but I love it. I invite all my friends to dinner, dancing, outdoor drumming events throughout my birth month to celebrate being alive. I think I could probably write my own blog as a reply. ~jkgaskins

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