John Fischer's Philadelphia
Vol. 1 - Number 31 - 08/06/99
OK, I admit that tomorrow is my birthday. Like many people, a part of me hopes that people will totally ignore the fact, but I admit that another part of me would be offended if nobody remembered. I guess that's how we all really feel, isn't it? Maybe we just want the right people to remember.
Part of my problem with my birthday is due to a series of bizzare birthday celebrations in the past.
I always have wondered why I have a dent in the top of my head. Seriously, I have a mini-moon crater in my skull. When I was about 12, I saw a picture of myself at my second birthday party blowing out the candles. The picture showed me with this really wierd bandage wrapped around my head. As often as I asked my family about it, they denied any memory of the reason. I guess, ever since then, I have always been very suspicious of birthday parties.
**********
When I was 14, I had a girlfriend named Kathy who lived on my street. For my birthday, my family decided that a surprise birthday party was in order. They contacted Kathy's parents and planned the party and a special adverture the next day on her parent's boat. The trip would take us out on the Delaware River, and we could go swimming down near the Bay. It was a wonderful idea. What they did not know was that Kathy and I had "split up" a month before my birthday.
Well, needless to say, the party was very strained. The next day's river trip was one of those memories that, even many years later, I can't forget, even though I wish I could.
**********
I married my wife when she was "kinda" engaged to someone else. It all happened in our sophomore year in college, in April of 1974. We didn't tell anyone that we were married, but by summer we had at least announced our "engagement". In fact, when summer vacation came, I went home to the Philadelphia area and she stayed with her parents in Connecticut.
I had a job at college that required me to be on campus in early August, so my father was taking me back to school. En route, we went out to a bar on my birthday in August of 1974. Back then, the drinking age was 18. After a few drinks, my dad asked me why I was so determined to get married on April 5, 1975. With a definite slur, I asked him "wouldn't you want to get married on April 5, 1975 if you were already married on April 5, 1974?" Needless to say, my birthday had struck again, and we had to own up to our families that we were married.
**********
The next year, Eileen and I had been married for about 19 months, and she decided to give me a birthday present to remind me of a special day in our lives. She gave me a jig-saw puzzle based on the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. When I was somewhat confused as to the significance of the present, Eileen explained that it was the first movie we had even seen together.
Somewhat dumbfounded, I proceeded to explain that she did not see the movie with me. In fact, she saw it with her former fiancee, whose birthday was August 8th (one day after mine). In fact, they had seen the movie at the student theater. I remembered, because I was the manager who let them both in for free that night!
**********
Well, all of those events were long ago. I came home last night and checked the mail. Included in my mail was a birthday card from CIGNA Healthcare, my health insurer.
The photo on the front of the card was quite nice, as was their birthday wish. However, upon flipping the card over, I was advised that because of my age, I should consider a general physical exam, a tetanus shot, a blood test, a sigmoidoscopy (they never explained what that was) as well as numerous immuniizations and screenings.
You know that you're getting older when you start looking at those tables that tell you your remaining life expectancy. For me I think I have about 34-35 years left, which takes me to about 80. Luckily for those who are already 80, the charts do not show that their life expectancy is zero. The tables always seem to leave you some room to live, thank God.
Well, that's my spin on things. Let's hear yours. Drop me an e-mail and let me hear what you think. You can also join me in our chat room almost every evening - Philly Chat.
If you missed any of our recent columns you can still catch them:
John Fischer's
Philadelphia 07/26/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/28/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/30/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 08/02/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 08/04/99