Birthday Fun(k)

My first year of teaching, I was asked several times over the course of the year how old I was. Once, without putting too much thought into it, I quickly answered, "90!" The students looked at each other a bit dubiously and one brave student posed this question, "Well, if you are 90, what year were you born?" My answer with batting an eye? "1910." The students, doing a bit of (slow) quick-math, concluded that I, in fact, HAD to be 90. How could I have done the math so quickly?

The year was 2000. It was at this time I lost a little bit of hope in our educational system.

However, I did enjoy several years of students volunteering to climb on chairs and desks...so that I wouldn't break a hip. Sweet, really, when you think about it.

It never occurred to me what an impact that statement had on students and what fun they had with is as a result. Last year, while on a trip to France, I received a birthday message from a former student wishing me a happy 108th birthday. Well, you know what? It would have been my 99th. And you know what that means? I would be one hundred years old on June 25. Though I believe there should be an event to mark this milestone, I'm going to be in Australia. NOT celebrating my birthday.

Here's the deal. Every year, I build up my birthday into this marvelous, fantastic, super cool thing. Every year, I'm disappointed. I'm not sure what it is. So, I've given up hope on the birthDAY and I'm focusing more on the year.

This year is going to be a great year. After all, I will have lived past 33. As my brother kept pointing out this year, "You know Jesus was 33 when he died...." Thanks.

Being 34 has to be great, right? It's not often you are an age that is comprised of consecutive numbers. 1-2. 2-3. 3-4. I'm going to start a new trend. Who cares about Sweet 16. So what if you can vote at 18 or drink at 21? Dude, I'm an age that sounds like I'm counting! And it happens every 11 years. What could be better?

Ridiculous? Maybe. Fun? Definitely. Hey, I'm still jazzed about the people who meet me and ask me if I went to the awesome house party the weekend before.

Yup, still got it....