My Yellow Sticker

December 1st is fast approaching, and for me that day should hold some significance so I am told; after all, it is my birthday. That's right, the day when God saw fit to bless the world with my presence! (And can I just say from now, I accept cash and guaranteed bonds only. In this time of financial toil, I had to stop taking credit cards!)

Now, I need to ask myself, why do we still celebrate birthdays? I personally don't feel any different, it is just another day, another hustle. But so many people go out and celebrate their birthday. For themselves they rent limousines, buy expensive bottles of Crystal, and spend a small fortune on a party or celebration of some sort. What is even worse though, is that they expect their friends to pay a large fortune in buying them a gift of some sort! Now, if you are thinking I sound like the Christmas Grinch, maybe I do, but I just don't get it on a pragmatic level.

Before I proceed though, please don't get it twisted, I will accept a present just a quick as the next man or woman, and its not necessarily the celebration of Birthdays that I am opposed to. I am simply curious as to why we continue to celebrate them in such an ageist society. In a society where after your late twenties (or if you look real good your early thirties) you are considered past your shelf life, and moved to the reduced goods section, why you would want to be reminded of, or remind the world of your status. For example, a man will look at a woman and think she is attractive, he will tell his friend this, and his friend will just so happen to inform this man that she is actually in her early 30's (THAT SOUNDS SOOOO OLD!!!), and before you know it, she is relegated from being attractive to now 'Looking good for her age'. That small little detail of her age had her swiftly moved from the Fresh Foods Counter, to the section in Morrisons with all those yellow stickers on that bargain hunters (ie those hard up), congregate around, looking to get what they can.

And please, don't give me the cliche "Age ain't nuthin' but a number", R-Kelly wrote that song, and look where that got him.

Perhaps in years gone by, birthdays were to be celebrated. In an age where the old were respected, honored and treasured. But that is an era that is long gone. There are no more perks for growing old. Where once in London it was really the privilege of the elderly and young children to travel for free on the buses, it is now the 'right' of teenagers. Where once an old person would be offered a seat on a packed train, now they are lucky to get a look of acknowledgment that they even exist.

But after all is said and done, I guess it really is a matter of where an individuals focus is. Perhaps this year, as society comes to stick its yellow sticker on me that says "Ooops! Was 29! Now 30!!!", I will look on December 1st not as a day that I get that little bit older, that little bit more grey, but simply as a day for thanksgiving. A day of celebration of the mercies and wonderfulness of God for seeing me through another 365 days.