Birthday

You know the old joke... as you get older what have you learned...not much. Well, the one thing I have learned is that you can't go back. And that's good. I was discussing movies and all those remakes with a professor here at the college and told him that the remake wasn't as good as the original. So anytime that I try and do what was done then...isn't like it was. The ole' trying to capture lightning in a bottle. So I'm not gonna try. But what I am going to do is write down those memories...NOT so they can be replicated, just so I can remember-in the awful case my memory starts to go... lol

I know I had birthday parties when I was little. I even remembering seeing a birthday train cake my mother had made me. I know that all my 'little friends' kids that I grew up with in Glasgow were there. This was truly one of those where you knew everyone. And I remember sleep overs for my birthdays, and other assorted simple and nice treasures of those ages.

But what I remember and the jewel in my birthday memory is going to Diamond Jim's in Glasgow and eating steak. My family would do this besides birthdays, but I remember when I was going to Kemper and eating there with some friends. My parents drove us, so it was pre-driver's license. And I remember it was 1978 or 1979 as I remember the song "Piana Colada (Escape)" was on the juke box. And my mother ordering one of those as she had never had one. I think I even had a sip, even though it was alcoholic. That was a drink she liked and actually drank on occasion throughout the rest of her life. And eating steak on my birthday became a tradition of sorts. Now that's not a bad one to do year after year, and that can be captured.

I do remember one special one though: I was seeing this woman who lived in DC and she took me to a nice steak restaurant. Her and a couple of her friends and I all had a great time. Anymore I want less and less of things and more of memories. As I have learned in the last 13 years that those are the things that can never be taken from you. I mean, I knew that even as far back as Kemper, but it has become so apparent in these last years. And any gift that any friend or lover has ever given me has always retained a special place as that person thought enough of me to give me something. Especially some of my 'sisters.' The one in Minnesota sends me CARE packages on occasions of usually gingerbread cookies and some other assorted neat stuff. That always makes my day and I try and let her know how much that means to me. And my Chief of Staff/Legion Surgeon General has fixed up goodies bags for different things. I think that's so neat of her to do. These are just two of my great friends.

So yeah, on my birthday I remember hearing the Piana Colada song, eating steak around a large table and having a nice time. That is something that I hopes to continue. It doesn't happen every time, but enough that make those memories special.

So happy birthday to me today.