My grumble, grumble, thirtieth, grumble birthday is coming up on Saturday. I'm kinda freaked out about it. I've never been one to fret about growing another year older. I drown myself in random quotes about birthdays that make me feel young and vibrant when that time of year rolls around. It pretty much works. A few well-knowns like "age is nothing but a number" and "it's not how old you are but how old you feel" do the trick on days I search for those creeping grays.
But thirty? Holy hell.
I'm the last of my friends to cross the threshold.
I really do feel older. (Thanks largely to the two knee surgeries that have left me with a slight gimp and aching pain that rears its ugly head when it's cold out.)
I tell Husband to turn down his loud music when he ramps it up. But come on, who wants to get their eardrums blasted out by Rage Against the Machine or Slipknot every "quiet" Sunday morning?
I'd MUCH rather spend my mornings with a mocha from Starbucks, a Chewy granola bar, and my blank word doc than a sweat session at the gym--even though I know which of those I *should* be doing.
And I'd much rather spend my nights cuddled beneath a blanket than out drinking with friends.
Is that so wrong? Am I making thirty the new fifty? I worry sometimes. Especially when Husband gets back from an open track meet this weekend and says he feels younger. Younger! Can you believe that? The nerve of him to mention youth when I'm about to be old and gray. Hmph!
I actually have plans for my thirtieth. A big bash with family and friends and beer and yummy cake and presents...it's my sister-in-laws wedding! Oh, I'm sure I'll do something the day or week after but for now there's no plans. I kinda just want to curl up on my rocker, pet my cat, drink some tea and watch 60 Minutes*.
*For the record I don't own a rocker, or a cat, I don't drink tea, nor have I ever watched 60 Minutes. And I've especially never done them all at the same time which would absolutely catapult me into the Depends-Zone.*
Anyway, back to my thirtieth. I don't want presents this year. Hell, I don't even want to drink. (Did enough of that at RWA National, thank you very much.) What I would like is a day with no cooking, no cleaning, no loud music, no stress, and hey, what the hell, maybe a book deal thrown in at some point.
Yeah, that'd pretty much blow the top off year thirty.
I'd looove for you all to weigh in. How did you feel at thirty? Were you as freaked out as I am? What did you do? (And if you say you watched 60 Minutes I'm going to chuck my MTWTHF pill container right at your head.)
Edited to add: I forgot to mention (not surprising seeing as memory loss is the first thing to suffer in old age) that the 100 Follower Contest is coming to a close. I'll pick the winner of Eve of Samhain or a $15 Starbucks Giftcard TOMORROW. If you're interested don't forget to follow the "Author Spotlight" link and comment.
11 comments:
I turned thirty in May (and I was the last of my friends to do so). It freaked me a little, but once the day came it was just like any other birthday. I had a meal with my family instead of a huge party. That was perfect for me :)
I've decided the age I'm freaking out is 45. That's my scary age.
hitting 30 was no big deal its every thing that hapens after that that is the problem.
chris a
Thirty wasn't so bad. Don't fret my wee young friend. You're still young and spry. My aging ass is pushing forty. Old and saggy is not pretty. Bah!!
Lindsay--I'm with you--a simple dinner with family and a few friends sounds great. And *wow* 45...I don't even wanna think about it yet.
Chris A--I suppose everything that happens after 30 is only a problem if you make it a problem, right? :)
Lisa--If you are old and saggy I can't wait to be there. You look fantastic!
This is my 30th year. I'm also the youngest among my friends and feel despicably old in comparison to them (turning down the music, not drinking, saying home on a Friday night and getting into bed before midnight...). All of my friends kept telling me in the months leading to my birthday that "your thirties are so much better than your twenties." *shrug* It doesn't seem much different to me. Being thirty is only being old when you let yourself feel old, but I don't think that the things you mentioned make you "old". The 60 Minutes-cat petting-tea drinking evening in the rocker would make you old, but not wanting to save your eardrums or getting a full night's sleep and waking up without a hangover.
Happy early birthday!
Rosie--Awesome! Glad someone else sees things my way! :) I didn't think saving my eardrums or feeling rested was an "old" thing either, but there are those who would disagree.
And THANKS for the birthday wishes!
We're not old, Kristen! "Old" is always 15 years older than us. I got a group of my six closest girlfriends together and we celebrated in Vegas. I then spent my actual birthday working the riots in Oakland. Lovely way to celebrate, right?
Don't worry, we have many, many more birthdays ahead of us :-)
Happy Birthday! I turned 30 last year. It was hard, but I survived ;) We had just moved from Germany to Louisiana. Hubby was working. He did pick up an ice cream cake and flowers for me on his way home. I’ll be 31 on August 16th (Yay Leos!). I’ve found it makes me feel better to say turning 29 for the 3rd time LOL
Would I love to be thirty again! (I just turned a young 70 - gasp. You think thirty is old?!) I remember exactly where I was - the woods Connecticut; how many chidren I had - three then four. How much money we didn't have (this first husband was in graduate school). I'm now old enough to write my memoirs, which I'm doing, and about to publish the first one.
I found you via KarenG (Coming Down the Mountain). Do drop by and meet me, too. I'll be back....
Ann
Thank you Jolie, Christie and Ann for the birthday wishes. And yes, GO LEOS! ;)
Happy Birthday, but sheesh, 30 is not old. I just turned 55 and though it sounds old to you now, believe me when you get there 'old' isn't till you're 70 at least.
You're as old as you feel. That's the saying, and for me it's true. Look forward to maturity, it gives you a lot more to write about. I didn't have any ideas worth writing until I was 50. Yeah I'm a late bloomer.
I've written YA fantasy and now I'm working on a partially paranormal romance. It's a fun genre.
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