Happy Birthday
After the last post, it might be nice to enjoy something a bit lighter and more upbeat: Birthdays are a big deal in some cultures. Particularly here in America, we take the anniversary of our first day as a cause to celebrate. It's the one day when you are special for no other reason than for being you and surviving another year. For many, being the birthday boy or girl meant you ruled the day. People gave you things, sang your name, made merry in your honour, and told you that all your wishes should come true. American parents often go to great lengths to plan the perfect birthday parties for their children. In my family, birthdays were comparatively low key. When your family is large and doesn't have much money, the idea of hosting a half dozen school friends for a traditional birthday party isn't very practical, and going out to a professional venue of some sort is certainly impossible. So, we didn't have the kind of formal celebrations where cro