The real happy birthday

You were born and I hope you remember, because there would be no reason to go on if you do not...

Remember on your very first birthday?, though im quite sure that you do not recall it but i hope you really do, your curly hair glistened your wide forehead and those pathetic shades, which were forced unto you, had fallen to the floor many times either because of your almost flat nose which by then, and probably up to now, could not seem to support any form of eyeglasses, or it may have been just because it irritated you so you did the best you can to throw them out of your face. And yes, take a look at that, grab the picture and see the many bundles of gifts and boxes on the sofa, which could probably had accomodated a dozen of other kids, then yet of course they were all yours but you do not recall them, do you? and during those moments it didn't really matter to you, did it?

it's was your birthday stupid

But seriously, i tell you, stop celebrating your birthdays this way, in the same manner by which you have celebrated your first couple of years when you had learned to crawl, to stand on your own feet, to walk, to run, to speak, go to school and eventually, when you realized that you had been learning so many things from all those years and someday, and you had dreamt and wished for this so many times, you would become a grown up man.

I'm pretty sure you would agree with me if i say that birthdays, as much as you would like to disagree, should not in any way, be celebrated. All the other days of the year you should be spent on those celebrating but most certainly not on your birthday. That would be absurd. For those days, when you had stood in front of your birthday cake and had blown the candles and had rushed towards your gifts and had played games with the other kids, are all gone. Now you are back to your one year old self, the one who didn't care, who woke up on his birthday and had gone through the day oblivious to everything else, and found out that it didn't truly matter for it was just another ordinary day.

But of course your birthday is special, who am i kidding? I wouldn't want to mislead you, especially not you. But I tell you honestly, on a very special day like your birthday, the only singular day of the year when you, as the one who had gone back to your one year old self, should be spent entirely on frustrations. Yes frustrations or shall i say, shortcomings if that sounds less frustrating. Not that i intend to frustrate you or something. It just makes a whole lot of sense spending your birthday remembering your past and present shortcomings doesn't it? Yes it certainly makes a lot more sense, i tell you. For your shortcomings, as much as you would want to disagree, mattered more than whatever you had intended to celebrate on your birthday and more importantly, your frustrations could very well be a far better bases in your attempt into trying to define and spend your very special day.


You should be thankful for your shortcomings and so shall we begin? take for instance, you should be grateful for the time when you were young and you had wished to become a scientist but realized later that scientists only exists in movies?

Or perhaps you remember those moments when you finally realized that your ambitions to become, say a solo guitarist, or a vocalist, or a comedian, were better to be left alone as ambitions? for the farthest you've gone as to being a famous artist was to sing in front of a handful of people and then be patted at the back and to be praised by your friends saying how natural an artist you are, and you definitely wished they weren't your friends the next time?

Or perhaps that time when you were so young and one day you woke up and had dreamt of becoming a renowned black belt martial artist but only had gotten as far only with your brown belt?

Or maybe that other time when you woke up and suddenly felt how noble it would have been to be an outstanding and brave eagle scout and went on about it but had fallen short one rank and ended up as a Venturer scout instead?

Or that moment when you woke up and you were so sure of yourself, too sure in fact that you had sketched your plans up to your deathbed, and had dreamt to becoming a seal team squad leader and eventually a respected 4 star general (who wouldn't kiss a shadow of a presidential ass), but had gone only as far as a group commander of a small high school or perhaps only as far as passing an academy's entrance examination?

And those moments that you realized that you were a frustrated baseball and basketball and chess superstar all at the same time and had gone to play in school but only as far as that?

Or maybe those times, like these days, when you had written poems and stories perhpas, things of literary sorts, and at those moments when writing had loved your own work but after a while and after rereading them had become disgusted with them?

This includes of course those moments when you had failed to achieve the littlest and simplest of things like trying to tie your shoe laces or say, to graduate from college? And how about those relationships you had failed to sustain or even failed to begin, or failed to end substantially even, for reasons you still are trying to understand but quite couldn't?

I could go on and on and make you remember all of them but of course that would be surely impossible and the truth is it's really up to you now, wouldn't you agree? It makes a whole lot of sense doesn't it? I hope it does and i hope when you reach 23 years of age you'd take my advice and celebrate your birthday in this manner, more meaningful and defining manner- relive your frustrations for they're a big part of you and be grateful too.

So you are 23 and your ears hurt bad. happy birthday, anyways.