On The Chelf, Aging

Word of the Post
Today's word is: birthday
/birth"day/ noun
Day of origin or commencement; the day in which any person is born; the day of the month in which a person was born, in whatever succeeding year it may recur; the anniversary of one's birth; the celebration surrounding any such day.
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I need a party, it's my birthday!
Famous Holidays: Cinco de Mayo (Mexico); Children's Day (Japan, aka Boy's Day); Martyr's Day (Albania).
Famous Births: 867-Uda, Emperor of Japan; 1813-Soren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher; 1926-Ann B. Davis, Actress (Alice on Brady Bunch); 1943-Michael Palin, Actor (Monty Python); 1974-ME!
Famous Deaths: 1821-Napoleon I of France; 1971-Violet Jessop, Titanic Survivor (amazing story, go look it up!).
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This is the 33rd anniversary of the day that the world was graced with my presence. I am now 21, with 12 years of experience. This is also my 33rd post. I saved it, just for today. Tradition has it that Jesus was 33 when he was crucified. Tradition also has done some math, and every few years, Ascension Day happens on May 5. It happened last year, and will happen again in 2016 (If we survive past the newest End-of-the-Earth prediction of Dec 21, 2012, of course). I have said for years that the birth of Christ was most likely in the Spring, because the shepherds were out with their sheep; this usually happened only in lambing season (Spring), and so... why couldn't I guess that He was born on May 5? It was every bit as likely as Dec 25, and in fact, a closer guess. Now I have found that He ascended back to the Father, probably near May 5. Ha! That is great. (Hail, Princess Delusion of Grandeur, long may I reign!)

My best friend and her daughters call me on or near my birthday each year... they sing to me over the phone. I have grown fond of the "Happy Cinco de Mayo to you!" It is a joke that has existed between us since before we were as old as her daughters are now. Her younger daughter asked one year WHY they did this. She answered that we just do, because we love Auntie Chelf. Little one still doesn't get it. Oh, well, at least we still get a kick out of it.

This leads me to think of a friend in college, who played "My Michelle" by Guns'N'Roses for me, instead of playing (or worse, singing) "Michelle" by the Beatles. I think I am the only Michelle I know who was NOT named for that song. Every person who meets me tries to sing it. I have a rule about that. If you wish to sing it, you must know more than the first three words, and the French part is extra credit if you pronounce it correctly. My DH and his first roommate from college are the only two people who would have been qualified to sing it, because they are the biggest Beatles fans I have ever met. And, thankfully, they are the only two who have never tried. DH is such a sweetie, he even skips it on his CD sometimes, just so I don't have to hear it. Which is funny to me, because I actually like the song... but only when sung by the Beatles.

I love these guys, and their crazy computer geek workplace antics. (click on it to make it bigger... that tiny type is hard to read, especially for us old fogies...) Makes me wish sometimes that I had tried harder in those computer classes at school. But, I am more of a post-production testing sort of geek, not the sysadmin sort of geek. If you know anything about computer programming, this is your joke source. If you don't, well... the finer jokes may go over your head, but the gist of it is still funny.

I have "My Next 30 Years" by Tim McGraw running through my head. I could really use a lot more Jesus in my next 30 years. I have done so much that was nothing but selfish. I have done some good, too. I have helped friends in need, I have sacrificed time and talent to show Jesus in many ways. But I know that simply being a "good person" is not enough. I have to strive to be better than "good". I have to BE Jesus to the lost and dying world, because they won't listen to His Word. But they SEE.... they see ME, and I am in no shape to be seen yet. "Eat a few more salads..." Yep, My next 30 years will be better; but I have to work, and I certainly don't relish that.

I am off to see a chick flick with the DH, and I have a wedding to attend this evening. All in all, today is going to be a great day. I have presents, people who care about me, time to have fun doing what I want to do... The only thing that could make it better would be to have no worries to come back to. Reality will still be here when I get back, but, for now, I can ignore it. Mental vacation, here I come!

"Happy to me, happy to me!" ~~ Best friend's daughter on the occasion of her 2nd birthday.