Monday 30 January 2012

30th January

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

Today is my birthday. There is a thing about not celebrating your birthday as you get older. What is the point, after all? Birthdays are about balloons and cake and conjuring tricks, which only really work when you are seven. Isn’t it a bit undignified, running around on a random day of the year yelling, metaphorically or literally: look at me, look at me, I was born?

Actually, I think no. Turns out social networking, that hideous, dry, clunking phrase for Facebook and Twitter and similar, is quite marvellous on your birthday. I started off feeling rather cranky and grumpy and ultimately ordinary; then there was a little Facebook flash from my cousin in West Meath and suddenly we were pinging bad jokes and naughty stories about Rudolph Valentino performing unspeakable acts back and forth and it felt like a party. People only have to write Happy Birthday with a little exclamation mark or kiss and the day starts to glint and gleam with promise.

It’s quite odd. One could see it all as very dry and distant; a few tweets, a sentence on a Facebook page; nothing to get exercised about. In fact, it is all very touching.

I’m doing this quick blog now because I’m being taken out to lunch, and afterwards I may be hors de combat. Also, there is snow, so I might be stuck in a drift. No time for elaborate words, or even pictures, but just did want to salute the Dear Readers and say that forty-five is not bad at all.

I’m starting to wonder why I made such a fuss in my head about the whole middle-aged, mid-life nonsense. Age is just a scratch on a page. If you’ve got love and trees and Pigeon (or equivalent) and readers and friends and hills and family and soup, the years are nothing.

Perhaps the only real difference is that now I make a little oof sound when I get up from a chair. ‘Oof,’ I say, out loud, as I stretch my creaking joints. I do not think I did that when I was twenty-five. Still, nothing a bit of downward facing dog can’t fix.

Some days, a photograph is so glorious that only one is called for. I think this is one of those days. So here are no trees and avenues and hills and lichens. Here is just my Pigeon:

30 Jan 1 01-08-2011 14-01-46

PS. You know that women the other day who told me that blogging was self-indulgent? I should make clear she was a very nice, highly intelligent person; it was just I slightly disagreed with that one statement. But the awful thing is that if she randomly stumbled upon today's post, she would have the shining satisfaction of being proved absolutely right.

Tomorrow, in penance, there shall be nothing but World Affairs. I might even have a little go at Mr Hester's bonus.

40 comments:

  1. Happy happy birthday! It was my 40th birthday ten days ago and, grown-up that I now pretend to be, I told everyone that it didn't matter. Secretly, I was thrilled with my Facebook/Twitter 'fuss'. Call me self-indulgent if you will... But surely better to be self-indulgent in your little corner of the internet than in real life, I say. The wonderful thing is, if people don't like it they don't have to read it and no feelings are hurt!

    Hope you've had a fabulous day!

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  2. Happy birthday to you! let there be cake!!! when my niece was younger than she is now at a worldly 7, she didn't understand the word "birthday" but did understand "happy" & "cake" so she truncated it and in my family it's now called "happy cake", eminently sensible if you ask me...

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  3. A very happy birthday to you. Much joy and happiness always.

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  4. Indulge away. Happy Birthday x (I suppose I'm facing 60. I'll let you know how that feels nearer the time never fear.)

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  5. Happy Birthday Tania! Here's to a wonderful day, a wonderful year and lots more self indulgent blogging!

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  6. Happy Birthday most excellent writer. May WE celebrate the fact that you were born.

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  7. Happy Birthday Tania, I hope you have the most wonderfully, self indulgent day, exactly as it should be.
    X

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  8. Happy Birthday to you.Have a lovely day.Xsue

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  9. Happy birthday! Middle age can be awesome, really! I'm 54 and I really wouldn't want to be one year younger.

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  10. Happy Birthday, Tania! Beautiful blog, beautiful Pigeon and beautiful writing!

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  11. Happy Birthday, hope you are having a marvellous day and lunch was delicious :)

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  12. Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday to You! (Trying to "channel" Stevie Wonder here...)
    Have a wonderful, wonder full day (& evening), Tania!!!!
    Birthdays ARE special, and unique...and DEFINITELY meant to be celebrated!

    PARTY ON!!!!!
    XX

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  13. Many happy returns Tania...I like your attitude!! I shall adopt it myself (38 in March...). I hope you have a lovely lunch and enjoy rest later to contemplate further! Lou x

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  14. Happy birthday Tania! Hope you have a wonderful day, Kate x

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  15. Happy Birthday! Certainly nothing undignified about celebrating your life, and I think birthdays are a reminder for us to do just that. Hope your day is wonderful.

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  16. Happy Birthday, Tania. The photo of the Pigeon looks as if she is singing to you. Hope you had a good lunch and made it home through the snow.

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  17. Happy Birthday. Tania! Nothing wrong with celebrating your birthday and being a little selfish! I still treat it as if I were five, eating my favorite foods, wearing my favorite dress and delighting in the fact that everything is going "my way". Enjoy your lunch, your snow and your Pigeon!

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  18. Happy birthday and enjoy the lovely snow falling for your birthday.

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  19. Wishing you the happiest of Birthday's, do hope you have had a lovely day x

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  20. Wishing you a very happy birthday. I am a new reader to your blog and I look forward to reading it each day, the beautiful pictures bring joy every day- thank you. I hope your day has been filled with feasting, fun and friends.

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  21. Happy Birthday, Tania. Hope lunch was convivial and delicious.
    x

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  22. Hope you've had a fantabulous day! Happy 45th!
    The Gorgeous Pigeon looks like she's laughing :)

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  24. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (I tried to include an ascii rose but it compressed and therefore no longer resembled a rose... sorry.)

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  25. 45 is a great age - not in the least bit scary and you are at complete liberty to NOT be a grown up any time at all :). Happy birthday, with much joy, friendship and doggy kisses. And just the right amount of indulgence... The Pigeon has such a wise laugh on her face today!

    P.S. Interesting how so many of the Dear Readers (self included) automatically went on the defensive. A very human response. Also glad that she was a nice, intelligent person. Always good for us to have our own views challenged - it's remembering to do the "stop and think" while it's happening that's difficult.

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  26. Happy, happy birthday, soak it all up, celebrate the day and I hope your year is filled with many joyous moments. I will be 45 in March and was dreading it but have now decided to embrace it with gusto. Bring on the cake!!

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  27. For a rather good view on being grown up - http://xkcd.com/150/

    I just wonder how the dogs would handle it.....

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  28. How absolutely lovely and kind you all are. Can't tell you how much all these special messages make me smile. THANK YOU. x

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  29. Happy Birthday! Pidgeon looks triumphant...

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  30. Happy Birthday from me too! I've just had my 60th and don't feel (inside) a day over 17.

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  31. Happy Birthday...hope the lunch was fun!

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  32. Happy birthday for yesterday. I meant to reply to one of your earlier posts to say that I'm going to be 50 this year, and I do think I know something these days - damned if I could tell you what it is though!

    The pidgeon looks particlarly splendid and I hope it was a good lunch.

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  33. Just want to add, January 30 is also my father's birthday. (He would have been 118!)
    (And October 28 is mine which, I believe, is also your brother's.)

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  34. Happy Birthday from freezing Finland! You have obviously spent those years well - everyone of them was needed to shape you into the wonderful writer you now are.

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  35. Of all days to be MIA! My apologies - and belated but sincere Happy Birthday wishes. Sounds like the best way to have one---with friends, family and dog.

    Speaking of The Pigeon, if you had to select just one picture, your priorities are straight! ;-)

    Bird

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  36. I've just seen that it was your birthday.. am always a bit behind these days. Very happy birthday and hope you had a lovely, self-indulgent day. All best wishes Sarah

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  37. Happy birthday Tania, and my apologies for my belated good wishes. I hope you had a marvelous day

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  38. "If you’ve got love and trees and Pigeon (or equivalent) and readers and friends and hills and family and soup, the years are nothing." This is why I am going to hit the 'follow' button. Happy 45th!

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