It's Not My Birthday, Thank Goodness
While it is not my birthday, nor the anniversary thereof, there have been a couple folks at work yesterday and today that did have their 40th. They both wound up with black balloons and that sort of thing to indicate aging and such. It seems to be a tradition, but really, it's not so much a tradition as merely a rut. It's a default bit that isn't very amusing as it's been done so many times that it lost any humor value it might have once had.
I expect I'll take my 40th off, when it eventually arrives, just to avoid some of this nonsense. I toyed with the idea having someone call in to work saying I wouldn't be there to my death (if they're going to celebrate it mockingly, why not go further?) - but that might set things in motion that would complicate my life when I showed up the next day.
There's a fascination with numbers divisible by 10 when it comes to age. I was fortunate enough that when I turned 30 nobody really noticed and I didn't have to put up with this unfunny bit of attempted humor. Why not use other numbers? How about a Jack Benny theme when someone turns 39? Or a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme at 42? Well, at least for those who'd know and could appreciate it. At least it wouldn't be the same old tired default. But that could require some creativity and effort and not just a couple dollars at a drug store for the by-the-decade pre-fab junk.