It Takes A Village and a Birthday

Do you ever see yourself as the person you were in your youth, with the same personality and self-worth beliefs you had as a child or a teen?  Then even when faced with evidence that you’re a much different person as an older adult, you sometimes are still surprised when others see you as the you of today while you think you might not be that you. 

I do. I was a shy kid with few close friends. I was a bit of a loner too. I was ok with all of that.

The irony here is that I chose radio as a career. I’ve been in radio most of the past 44 years. I’m not particularly shy anymore and I love being around people. I have many friends but only a handful of truly close friends; and most of those close friends have been friends for decades.

My birthday was last month and I was pleasantly surprised at how many people acknowledged it. Actually, I’m surprised by how many Facebook friends I have. Ok, FB friends aren’t always close friends, but I’m proud to say I know or know of all 400+ of them. I don’t accept FB requests from people I don’t know or have at least some connection to.

I’m touched that I received more than 100 ‘happy birthday’ acknowledgements on FB. I also received a dozen texts, emails and phone calls. Ten coworkers surprised me with a Happy Birthday serenade in my office (and ice cream cake).

Bar friends knew it was my birthday when I dropped by for a nightcap. One I barely know bought me a drink and the owner gave me a glass of wine or two.

I felt very loved as I wrote this paragraph (back on my birthday). I know people like me but this outpouring is very special. Sometimes when I’m jealous of friends who have many close friends, I need to remember how I felt that day. Even though these hundred are not all at the level of friend I could call at 3:00 AM with a problem, many of these people are probably closer than I give credit for.

My first birthday greeting came via email from Hawaii. That person has been a close friend for 44 years. My second came from a nearly 10-year friend in North Carolina. Another text came from a friend of 35 years who lives in Colorado. That afternoon I got a birthday text from a Louisiana friend of 50 years and an email from another Louisiana friend of 52 years.

The point is this: I am blessed. I have friends of various degrees and so many of them took a few moments to send a greeting. The cumulative effect is amazing. That’s my village, my tribe. They connect the dots from the person I was at past points in my life to the person I am now. Life is good.