Oh The Pressure

Note: edited below.

So as we all now know, having my birthday on Xmas Day sucks. For a number of reasons, but we won't list all of those here. I have recently come to the conclusion that there is yet another reason why an Xmas birthday sucks. It's the pressure of others always want to know what you are doing for your birthday. Bear with me as I explain this - it makes sense in my mind but it might not translate onto (virtual) paper.

I have a high profile birthday - and it's ONLY because of the date, and the fact that I share it with ol' Hey-soos himself. People KNOW about my birthday even if I don't tell them. It's a HUGE DAY in the calendar, regardless of ME (much as it pains me to admit it, a vast majority of the world doesn't even know I exist.) Of that small cache of people who do know me, and know of my sucky birthday, they all want to know what I am doing on the day. There is an enormous amount of interest generated from, about, and by my birthday. People just have this desperate NEED to know what is going to happen on that day for me. In part because everyone has the day off - so if I'm having a "do" they can be there, or if I'm alone they can come visit, or whatever. It's like my birthday gives them something to do on that day (assuming they are not with their own family that day.) On the one hand, it's NICE that I can have my friends and family there. On the other hand, it sucks. I CAN'T just say - you know, this year, I want to stay in my smelly pajamas and dirty undies and lay in my stale-smelling bed while reading back issues of trashy celebrity magazines and eating white bread toast slathered with peanut butter and drinking milk with ice in it. Oh yeah, and I want to be LEFT ALONE.

I just can't do that - the social pressure of having to DO something on my birthday means that I have to get up. I have to get out of bed. I don't have to go to work, but I probably DO have to make small talk. I don't want to host an event because then I have to worry, cook, and probably do some cleaning. I don't want to go out because it will involve pork, and we all know that's a no-go zone. See what I mean? I can't hide behind the "let's just go out to dinner after work" plan. I have to have PLANS, with a capital P-L-A-N-S.

This year is an example of this conundrum. I had my birthday event planned 12 months ago. We (me, DH, kids) were going to repeat last year and have a picnic on the banks of the Yarra River. Anyone who wanted to come, could come and if not, not. I was going to sit on my big behind, with loads of yummy food, my kids and my hubs, and just NOT think *all day*. ....and then those arseholes at the Weather Bureau fucked it all up, by announcing it was going to be the coldest Xmas Day in Melbourne's recorded history. So now I have friends, family, and extended persons all wanting to know, SO NOW WHAT?

I'm thinking those smelly pajamas seem like a good idea.

Pajama party at emzee's house - all invited! (You may not all fit into our bed, though, so could you please ask the bouncer at the door which seating you are booked into. Thank you.)

Editorial Addition: There is one MASSIVE positive to a high profile birthday: people don't forget the date! I had a fabulous day full of phone calls (both Skpe and normal), text messages on my mobile, and e-cards. Thank you all for making my 31st a fabulous day. (And I spent most of it in my PJ's...)