What makes you feel nostalgic?

Birthdays make me feel nostalgic and sorta jealous. Let me explain.

My cousin has the best birthday celebrations. Her bday is today but she’s been partying for many days previous to it. She sent a picture of herself with her cute haircut dyed gray and wearing a bright red blouse, and a bright smile, grinning from ear to ear with 12 friends and family members eating out together. Her husband was wearing a button down long sleeve shirt and I barely recognized him because most often he’s in a t-shirt, with suspenders and Bermuda shorts. They were seated at one long table. One couple came all the way from Indiana and the husband was all dressed up in a dress shirt, going business casual with a tie and all. (I’ve often wondered why they call it “business casual”. If you mean you’re seriously doing “business,”then dress for success like you mean business. Don’t go all casual. I would probably come in my pj’s since that’s my business casual outfit which I wear quite often. When I mean business, I go to sleep.) My cousin was seated at a place of honor with presents surrounding her. All the guests obviously adored her. It was a big deal bday. It all looked quite different from my bday.

For my birthday my husband took me out for dinner in the Monterey area at a restaurant by the beach. But I didn’t have a dozen people there. In fact, last bday he and I sat alone at a small table eating our appetizers: calimari and French fries, then we ordered some raviolis and sand dabs to share with drinks, even though things were kind of expensive. (Happy birthday!) I didn’t mention it was my bday to the host nor waiter. I don’t like them to draw attention by singing happy birthday to me, although I bet all twelve sang (probably off key) for my cousin’s bday dinner. I also did not get a birthday dessert. (My cousin probably got an entire NY cheesecake.)

We had paid earlier for parking at the automatic parking machine in the restaurant lot, but had trouble entering our car license info. We thought we were all set to drive home, after paying for dinner and leaving a tip, but on the windshield of our car was a parking ticket, neatly wrapped up in a white envelope. (Happy birthday!) We had entered the license plate number incorrectly. This ticket would cost us almost as much as the dinner had, but we could contest it with a copy of the receipt, day and time we had parked and a letter to the parking company authorities, signed and dated within 60 days. (Happy birthday!)

I guess birthdays make me feel nostalgic because as a child my parents threw some fun parties for me and all the grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins came not to mention another separate party just for my neighbor hood friends and school classmates. It was a big deal as a child. Back in those days, people got dressed up. My relatives looked stylish for our family gathering and at my kids’ party, we little girls wore dresses, with patent leather shoes and anklets (fancy lace bordered socks).

I really need to grow up. No more kiddy parties, right? Birthdays are fun in our 70’s but we do not need a big fuss over them like when we were kids, do we? I’m happy my cousin had people she loves around her for her birthday. She deserves to have fun. Hopefully no one got a parking ticket, dear Cuz. Oh, and if you got my gift and bday card in your mailbox recently, it might not fit so just return it to me. I can take it back and get a refund. I’m going to probably need it anyway to help pay for the ticket.

Thanks, sweet Cuz, and happy big deal birthday. To me, you are a big deal.

Maybe it’s his birthday.