Birthdays

Everyone loves birthdays, except for people that are turning fifty because then they get cards about how they are over-the-hill and pretty much almost dead. It isn't a cheerful time. Plus forty should really be the over-the-hill year, or maybe forty five. Most people don't make it to 100, and if they do they don't know who they are. All they know is they have a kind nurse lady that makes them eat and it makes them grumpy, but she's a nice nurse lady so its all forgiven. Eighty or ninety would really be a much more appropriate age.

Last summer I read a book called "Mutant Down Under," and it was about some indigenous tribe from Australia that gets by just fine by living in the desert. You know, its really hot there. And really try. I would be proud of them if I were you. P.S. its called "Mutant Down Under" because they call the "normal" people mutants. People that live in the city are mutants. Understand? Good.

So I read thsi book. Thats cool. What does it have to do with birthdays? Well these people, who I will start referring to as the Jorge (hor-hay) tribe, have an interesting philosophy about birthdays. They think, and I agree partially, that mutant-style birthdays are stupid. Why celebrate something that happens every single year and only means that you are 365 days older? What's so important about that? Nothing. It isn't important, unless you turned 16 or 21, no birthdays are important other than your first. So why celebrate them? Who knows. The Jorge tribe believes that birthdays are when you change as a person in a positive way, when your mind has been reborn. They have a major celebration that includes the eating of uncooked grubs. Yummmmmmmmy. I think that this is the way we should all celebrate life. Of course, then all the kids in the world who remember having mutant birthdays would get whiney and it would be a problem. Especially since 84.259% of parents have very minimal control of their beastly little children. So yeah, it would create problems, but it would also make life a lot more meaningful. So lets do it.