Today’s challenge is indicative of the fact that this book was originally printed in 2003. It asks you to write down the birth dates of your friends and loved ones, in an effort to not forget them in coming years.
It’s nearly impossible to forget someone’s birthday since Facebook. And in a lot of ways it really bothers me that remembering someone’ s birthday isn’t really very meaningful anymore. I will cop to being a frequent facebooker. It’s probably the equal parts voyeur and exhibitionist in me. But I do try not to “Happy Birthday” everyone that appears on the upper right hand side of my screen daily. Particularly if the recipient is someone whose birthday I never knew. Maybe this isn’t really meaningful, either, but I highly doubt anyone is sitting around wondering why I didn’t tell them Happy Birthday amidst their 300 messages.
My inability to remember birthdays isn’t an indication of a general state of forgetfulness. I am just bad about birthdays for some reason. Case in point, I just checked Facebook. Today is the birthday of a guy with whom I attended middle school. I did not know today was his birthday. We shall call him Drew, since that his name. I know that Drew’s phone number was 250-2435 before you needed to dial a prefix in Northern Virginia. I know that Drew made me cry when I was 12 and that I (cringe) purchased Chicago’s “Look Away” cassette tape single for him as a Christmas present but thought better than to give it to him. Evidently, my heartbreak had healed in the time it took to get a ride home from the mall. All of this to say, I am not a forgetful person. I just have a mental block against birthdays.
So I have started entering birthdays in to the calendar on my phone. I’m not sure why I feel better about being reminded via one digital source than another. But I do. And I have PLANS. Big Plans! I am planning on setting up a 2011 file with cards and envelopes. And addresses. And maybe even addressing envelopes for 2011 and having myself all set up. To send real, live, delivered to your postal mailbox birthday greetings. Because there is forethought and intent in sending a real, live letter.
I wish I could send pink sparkly shoes to everyone of my birthday friends. Alas, we are not all so lucky.
Excitement on the side 
One of my favorite annual rituals is copying the birthdays/anniversaries from last year’s calendar into the new year’s calendar. I rarely get around to sending out cards anymore these days (to think I used to hand make birthday cards!!), I enjoy thinking of these people all month long when I look at the calendar.
Not just birthdays either. First dates, first kisses…all the little things I know will make me smile this time next year.
Jane, I like that you copy the “firsts.” I do, too. :)
I share this mental block. Mine does extend to dates in general, but definitely birthdays. Even for my family i have to have some device to remember them. I do admire your self administered challenge though – good luck!
Oh ye of little faith. Send me your address. Pretty, please.
Its too bad that you’ll totally have fallen off the wagon and not be sending cards by the time next September rolls around. :(