Tales from the Towers: Birthday wishes

A few years ago I decided that from then on I am going to ignore my birthdays! Who needs all those changes in figures every year? You hardly get used to two digits when suddenly one or two new ones come up! It's really disconcerting! Trouble is that children, family and friends won't let you forget! They exclaim enthusiastically: "It's your birthday today, how wonderful!" Big deal! What's so wonderful about it? 

Truth is that if they would forget, I would sit there in a corner completely miserable and say to myself: "So that's it, nobody remembers, no one loves me anymore!" But as it is now, everybody seems to celebrate that I am getting older! I get one party here at the Towers together with all those who were so lucky to be born in February, I get another party together with Hanni another fish, I get invited for dinners, lunches with complete disregard that this may cost me an additional 30 minutes on the treadmill, I get a whole flower field from my son and daughter-in-law in Germany, and my daughter sends me something from San Diego because of course I have nothing to wear!

I get pretty flowers and a card from the Towers Management, I get invited to the restaurant of my choice by my in-laws. "You just tell us where you want to go!" says the father of my son-in-law, in short, there is simply no escape from birthday celebrations.

"Maybe", says a good friend of mine, "we should count backward when we reach a certain age!"

"Oh yes", I tell him, "then one day you and I will find ourselves back in kindergarten fighting over toys, you will win as usual, and I will run to the kindergarten teacher in tears! No! No way am I going back to kindergarten with you!!"

However, the moment arrives when all is done. I've had all the hugs and good wishes and telephone calls, e-mail messages and mailed presents and I think to myself: "Thank God, now I can peacefully get used to my new status and the new numerals!"

Too soon! One day after my birthday comes a far-away voice on the phone all the way from Australia: "You can't think that I've forgotten, can you? There is just that difference in time and I really don't know whether we are behind Israel or ahead time-wise; however, good wishes are always welcome!" Of course.

I had another adventure with a driver a few days ago, this time a bus driver. I boarded a bus, he took a look at me and said: "Why did you stop coming to our folk-dancing group? Eli Steiner asks about you all the time!"

Who is Eli Steiner and which folk-dancing group? I only lately joined the grandmas' folk-dancing group here in the Towers and I am not doing such a great job here at all!

"...and you don't come to the beach anymore either!" he continues, "if you stop these activities you'll grow old before your time!"

Obviously the man is confusing me with someone else, and it's wonderful to know that this happens to someone who looks as if he's hardly reached his fifties!

"You see, I think that you-..." I start to explain to him, but then I reached my stop and had to get off.

While in the supermarket, a young salesgirl said to me: "If you buy this onion chopper, you will never cry again while chopping an onion by hand!"

"You are too young too understand", I told her, "it's not at all bad to have a good cry! The tears may just have been  waiting there, and then one can use the onion as an excuse!"

I bought the onion chopper. And may your tears be ones of joy and come only when you really want them!

Lucca