Birthdays on my Mind

March is a busy birthday month for me.

My paternal grandparents have March birthdays. My best friend has a March birthday. My birthday twin and I have the SAME birthday (happy birthday tomorrow, Jennifer!).

Recently, I found another acquaintance with a March birthday quite by accident - on my part.

Hard to believe that I've actually known this person for 30 years and never knew when his birthday was (last Thursday).

This year, he turned 50. And decided to celebrate by having a party and inviting everyone he's ever known (it seems). For some reason, he is especially fond of both me and Darling Man - so of course we got an invitation. After much hesitation, we accepted.

Darling Man and I are NOT party people. We are not especially good at mingling or making small talk or meeting new people. Nope. Not party people. So of course we went.

The venue was a rundown warehouse with vines growing all over it. I'd never been there, so I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find an old wood barn inside, well kept up and clean.

Now... about the birthday boy. He grew up in Jamacia but is a Brit through and through. Even after all these years, he's got a faint British accent. I would say his main personality trait is enthusiasm - to the point where few people actually know his name, only his nickname "Tigger".

Tigger had a bar set up with Bud Light and Harp beer on tap, wine, and water or coke for the non-imbibers. The birthday cake and other food provided by a top of the line local chef. It was quite the spread but I never got anywhere near it.

Instead, it was a steady diet of hugs and smiles as I found little groups of people that I hadn't seen in a long, long time. Much healthier! I did have a couple of Bud Lights, which was strange for me but I was so happy to see all these people that it didn't have the same kind of effect that it usually did.

Then the band took the stage. The musicians were all around 50 and had played for a long time, sometimes together and sometimes not. The drummer was actually in my husband's band way back when. The music itself was marvelous, though the singing left something to be desired. After a couple of numbers, I leaned over to Darling Man and wondered aloud, "I can just see us coming for Tigger's 80th and there being a bunch of 80 year olds up on stage rocking out!"

After I said it, I realized that it was true. With few exceptions, people stick with the decade of music and musicians that they were listening to in their late teens and early 20s. That's why my grandparents still listened to big band and my parents still stop what they're doing and listen when the Beatles or some other early 60s group come on the radio.

My husband, on the other hand, listens to all kinds of things. Being a musician, the process and the progression of music keeps him up with the times, though there are music forms he'd just asoon never cross paths with ever again. Hip hop. Rap. It's angry music and as a teenaged child of the 60s, the peace, love, dove form is much more up his alley.

The band broke out into a very upbeat song that had us all dancing in our chairs, but Tigger started pogo-dancing (jumping straight up and down), then jumping from side to side. It was hilarious and joyful all at the same time. When the song ended, he came over to our table and I hugged him.

Tiggers really DO bounce.