Birthdays

Why are birthday's so important? Load of fuss and bother about nothing, but there's a distinct difference between the birthdays or people who are liked and respected.

I'll tell you the story of my bosses birthday and mine and you can see the difference and how to plan your next one.

My boss told everyone it was his birthday on the wednesday. A card circulated. Signatures scrawled with the usual "Have a great day" "Many happy returns!" Exclamation marks scored through the card into the desks the card was written on. A card delivery by hand was made. A small ceremony was performed hailing the day, and work recommenced. Thoroughly process driven and quite lacking in personality.

Now for my tale - get settled - it's a journey you're coming on now.

I'm thinking there are two things you can do on birthdays:
Option 1)
Tell EVERYONE, advance warning, emails, calls, organising parties and drinking sessions with your friends...
Option 2)
Tell NO-ONE, and keep it secret, the only problem with this being that sometimes you have to declare your birthday to someone (or someone from your past remembers and tells people)

So I attempted option number two this year - didn't tell anyone, office manager, colleagues and even some close friends. I even had to make sure facebook remained quiet about it (although I have thought about changing my birthday on facebook so it's always listed as tomorrow and I never get a day older! (",) )

Decision made hoepfully I'd find out:
- Who remembered (so I can prioritise my friends by those who remember the really important things)
- What kind of difference it makes to your special day, when you have kept it secret.

So, I wake up and my lovely darling housemates remembered, off I trot to work a little late and in receipt of a few texts from the night owls of my life.
Arrive at work and I split up with my boyfriend Lewis, for the second time in two weeks - its "for real" now and he's more upset that we're splitting up on my birthday and he's going to be seen by everyone as a bad person...well too bad, its my birthday and I'll do what I like thankyouverymuchyesindeed!

Anyway - I'm upset, I go to a few meetings, and in order to make myself feel a little better, I tell an agency that it's my birthday.

Next thing I know, I'm summoned down to reception (within an hour) as there's a package for me. A lovely bottle of bubbly!
I return to my desk-pod and obviously now one of my pod-colleagues knows it's my birthday - luckily there's only one there at that time, so I hide the bottle and tootle off to lunch with her. Whilst in the lift she announces to everyone that it's my birthday and so the snowball starts....

Over the next few hours I am in receipt of three cards, presents in the form of left over incentive items and a wonderful birthday muffin! Not to mention a constant drip-drip of emails from well wishers.
The beautiful cards are absent from the "have a great day" "MHR" trivia, they're written only by the people who've heard and want to make a difference and have thoughtfully written a paragraph, rather than a one liner.

I decide a few hours at work is enough and so I saunter home, smiling at all the people who see the bottle of bubbly in the bag and note the birthday slogan...now I'm spreading the message myself and people hold open doors and smile at me.

I can't wait for the world to revolve around someone else tomorrow, I'm gonna make sure I hold the door open for everyone and smile at the people who look like their birthday is never gonna happen again.


Listening to: Barbatuques - Baiana