Birthday Pressure

Tomorrow is a big day for me.

At the same time, it is not a big day for me.

For some, it is an important day.

For most, it is just another day.

And for those people who happen to share their date of birth with me, it is meant to be a special day.



But it isn't always special.

And there's nothing in the Rules of the World that say it has to be special.


I've been thinking about it the past few days, and your birthday actually carries a lot of pressure.
At least for me it does.



It's meant to be this momentous occasion where everyone says nice things to you and gives you stuff.

But for someone else, it's just another day.

They don't care that it's your birthday, and that actually isn't a crime.


I know I don't always care when there is a person who I have lost touch with and Facebook tells me it's their birthday. I don't say anything. I'm busy with my own stuff.
For them, it's their special day.
But for me, its just a Thursday, or a Friday, or whatever day it is.


A friend of mine once told me that she often deletes her friends from Facebook on their birthday, based on the fact that if she doesn't want to wish them a happy birthday, they probably shouldn't be on her friends list. I can't say I disagree with her logic and have been guilty of deleting people on their birthdays as well.
Harsh I know, but sometimes it pops up and you're like: "Who the heck is this person?" *delete*.

I wouldn't hold it against anyone if they did the same thing to me.




My birthdays have always been equally the best and worst days of the year.


Their is a lot of EXPECTATION.

As a child, I had too many expectations.

Things never went the way I wanted them to.

People wouldn't wish me a happy birthday and I would feel dejected.

I wouldn't get any presents from anyone.

My mum would go out to a horse show and leave me alone at the house to cook dinner for the family.


There's just so much PRESSURE to have a good day.

Everyone who wishes you a happy birthday also tells you to have a good day.

It's hard to have a good day when no one really cares that it's your birthday - it's just another day.



The change in my perception on birthdays came last year when I turned 22.

I used to be the person that waltzed around telling everyone it was my birthday so they felt forced to notice me and say happy birthday to me. I would tell my brothers that it was MY RIGHT to get all these perks (like choosing what tv show we would watch/food we would eat/which seat in the car I got to sit in) because it was my birthday.

But last year I tried a different tactic. I didn't tell anyone it was my birthday. I just enjoyed the day, dubbing it "Happy Monday" and "Monday Martz Day", because my birthday was on a Monday that year.

Calling it "Happy Monday" relieved it of all the birthday pressure. I had a good day just because it was a good day. I surrounded myself with good friends and just enjoyed their company.
I didn't expect that much.
I took what I got.
I went with the flow of the day.

It was my best birthday ever.





Tomorrow is "Happy Tuesday". I am trying my best not to have too many expectations. On the one hand, it is my special day, but on the other, for many people, it is just a Tuesday and I can't expect them to care.
And that's okay.


I am looking forward to spending time with friends.

Aimee is making me a pumpkin pie, and Lyndon has been building something for me and my curiosity concerning that is in itself a bit of a present.
I don't know what to expect!

But whatever happens, I know that my birthday doesn't have to be the best day of the year.

It's just another day when I get a few more texts than usual and my Facebook wall has a little more activity.

I don't expect presents from anyone, but like I have said before, people are welcome to donate to my new guitar fund if they would like to get me a little somthin' somethin'. But don't feel obliged to at all.

I have enjoyed being 22.

A lot of awesome things happened.

And I'm sure I'll have a good day tomorrow, not just because it's my birthday, but because I have so many awesome people around me who make everyday a good day.








This is me at my 22nd birthday party hosted by my friends Chloe, Heidi, Olivia, Lily and Joe <3