Thursday, June 14, 2007

Just Another Day



Yesterday I was signing a document at work and referred to the calendar for the date. When I was younger, it would have had a measure of significance to me. Now, I barely register.

So yesterday, I pined away the day and decided I'd stretch my luck. Finally, just before eleven, I approached Eric. In mock hurt, I curtly said, "Do you know what today is?"

After referring to his computer, he turned to me and hesitantly answered, "June 13."


I encouraged his confusion with an, "And..."


When his response of "Wednesday" was met with a huff, I decided I would help him out.

"And three months from today is...?"


"Your sister's birthday?" he responded blankly. And then caught himself quickly as he declared, "YOUR birthday?"


"So that makes today..."


Eyes were rolled as he made the connection. Yes, yesterday was my 3/4 birthday, and nary a gift or card in sight. Truly my life is hard.

In all seriousness, though, I remember when even half birthdays were celebrated in school. In elementary school this was especially useful for students who had summer birthdays, since they too should get to share in bringing treats and receiving original cards and treated as if it was indeed Their Important Day. Then that transforms to little pomp and circumstance as the years increase. You still go to work and have deadlines and bad things can still happen and people don't automatically know by looking at you that they should cater to your needs and resist the urge to just treat this as another typical day. Unless you're perhaps wearing a birthday crown, which would lead people to knowing of the occasion, but perhaps steering clear of you in the future.

In knitting news, I have finished Fetching. Charity termed her pair Fistacuffs. I chose the same yarn I am using for my first cabled scarf, but I have also cast on another pair in a lighter yarn for those times you just need to take the edge off. Verdict? Super fast project, nearly instant gratification.


And the campus squirrels are getting braver.


During lunch, I found one just about to scavenge through the purse at my feet. I grabbed it up out of his reach but did snap a couple photos while he tried to beg from me and, when disappointed, as he sprawled in the heat.


4 comments:

David said...

Hi Faith
I have not checked your blog in a while. I enjoy the squirrel theme. I hope you are all having a good summer. See you in another month or two.

P said...

I hate squirrels. I think I've said this on more than one blog. The squirrels here are out of control.

My double-pointed needles arrived so now I can finish my sock (I bought 3s and ordered 2s) Maybe the fistacuff will be next...

Rachel said...

If I had a spirit animal, it would definitely be a squirrel. Oh, and the .75 birthday thing is pretty cool -- I never would have thought of that!!

Faith said...

Rachel, I don't know if you've ever read the Pullman trilogy His Dark Materials, but in it people have animals (daemons) that represent a part of their souls. The relationships depicted in the book made me actually wish I had such a materialized creature.