Liz, agree with you about birthdays. And the older one gets, the more quickly they seem to come round. It's my 56th on November 28 and girlfriends are giving me lunch which is so lovely of them.
Like you, mentally I can hear music heard for the first time. In my case the strains of The Beatles, Love Me Do, played over and over and over again, the tune heard in my bedroom in Bolton, Lancs, coming through the walls of our semi-detached from the bedroom of older neighbour.
I would have been nine or ten at the time but I can still hear the clunk of the record ending, a pause, then the arm of the Dansette player and needle sizzing before the song began again.
Now I look at new picture of neice Emma on Facebook wearing a jaunty hat, hair slicked and blonde and wonder where have all those years gone? Memories, memories. It is good to remember especially in November, a month for memories. Remember, Remember the Fifth of November. Then at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day ... Poppy Day. The Great War. All we have to do is think of the sacrifice of millions of young men who didn't get to be twenty-one, never mind, thirty, forty or older. So in the year 2009, I'll say a little prayer of thanks for birthdays ... yours, mine, everyone's birthday. Have a happy one.

As the song goes 'happy birthday to you', the 'to you' bit being the operative bit! It's the one day you should be allowed to do what you want (UK laws permitting of course!).

And if that inclues lying about your age, hiding under the duvet or dancing in a boob tube at the local hotel disco, so be it.

I hope you feel better by the weekend and can do your annual thing in your preferred method! And a very happy unbirthday to the rest of us!

Do you know what I think? I think you should give your day over to all those peole who love you and let them show it however they wish: it will make them feel fab and you should just blow with the wind and smile and let them indulge. next day : duvet pjs x factor recorded YOUR real secret b'day x

I'm sure a shrink would have a field day with all this - self esteem questions etc. I'm a bit the same although if people really did nothing for my birthday I would feel quite hurt too. I missed out on my 21st for the exact same reason as you did. My 30th was a quiet affair and I threw my own 40th parties (one in England and one in the US). I think that was because I'd made such a fuss about my husband's 40th, and he didn't seem to be making any noises about reciprocating, that I got in there first to save myself a tantrum!

I've been holding back on making any comment on this subject as I had the 40th experience back in September. My husband was asking months before if I wanted a party to celebrate and I wasn't sure that 'celebrate' was the right thing to do for such a passing of time (I too feel I can't possibly be out of my teens yet!). Instead, I told him I'd let him know in time for the next birthday if being 40 was worth celebrating. Now I'm sure I did the right thing, as instead of a right raving party, he lavished me with a beautiful diamond eternity ring, a fab new handbag and matching purse - now that's worth celebrating!

I am with you Liz. It's my birthday next week (fellow scorp) and in all honesty I can't really be bothered. Sandwiched between two full days of meetings I really have shed loads of work to get through on my big day and I don't want to go out for lunch or for my family to feel the pressure of having to go out and buy me gifts.
I guess that I have reached the point of no return. Next year i will be 21 again but i will make sure that I have a better day than the first time round.
xx
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Yep. Where has all the time gone? All those birthdays when I felt like I'd waited SO long to be a year older. Now the time just flies by.

xx

Yeah, I'm with you ( and also a scorpio) I always find it a bit dull really. I had a great 40th, The Man and I left the tinies and went to Vietnam and sailed down The Mekong, but it was more the trip than the birthday that was fabulous.
By the time I have planned and executed bashes for all the kids I just can't be bothered, a hot bath and a good book is enough and coming in the middle of Nov. I always just think, 'Oh gawd, 6 weeks till Xmas'!!

Birthdays are big business in our house no matter what the age or whose Birthday! I am only 16 in my head despite my body being 30 and so I love a party!