Blog 2324 – 03.05.2022
Today Is Somebody’s Birthday
That is true of everyday, but our own personal holiday is special to us and to those who know and love us. One company, that I worked for for a little over seven years, allowed all the employees to take in addition to a generous list of popular holidays, three personal days, and I always kept one of those in reserve so I could celebrate my personal holiday.
My dear, departed almost twenty-two years now, mom always made a big deal out of my birthday and with resources always short especially at that time of year that was not easy for her. My loving and lovely wife, Linda has for the years that we have been together always made my birthdays better than Christmas and showered me with gifts and special surprises, the biggest always being that my birthday matters so much to her. Her birthday and she certainly does to me.
A friend that I met, during the couple of years that I worked in Wisconsin, knows how much I love snow and always texts me when in snows there, “Happy Birthday.” As it snows there a lot more than in Houston, Texas, my long time home, I get a lot of birthday texts from my Wisconsin friend.
One of my Dad’s favorite greetings to friends and family that he had not seen in a while was, “Birthday Greetings.” Far as I know, my dad like most men and even a few women, thought little of trying to remember other people’s birthdays and was always surprised if his got any notice. He grew up during the Great Depression in a large family of brothers and sister and his mom passed while he was still a boy. Dad’s dad was an alcoholic and never held regular work for long, but did find ways to keep his kids working to help support the family. The boys all sold newspapers on the street even as youngsters and the girls washed clothes, ironed, and did other house work for their own family and other families as well. Dad tells the story of the most memorable spanking that he every received after being found by his dad not on the street corner selling papers, but using some of the proceeds to see Jean Harlow in Hell’s Angels. Did he regret his decision or learn his lesson, probably not? Dad smiled every time he told that story remembering what a angelic creature Jean Harlow was on the silver screen.
In one of the most helpful self-improvement books that I ever read, Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People, one chapter points out that remembering the most important day in someone’s life is as important as remembering how to correctly pronounce their name and resisting the urge to make fun or puns using their name.
On the three or so years that I was on Facebook I wrote a special little note to each of the friends that I had made on Facebook and was so surprised that many of them, at least more people than previously had or have since, sent me birthday greetings. Facebook friends are virtual friends and may turn on you our simply unfriend you when you express an opinion contrary to “the clan dogma.” My circles is too big for that nonsense and so I quit Facebook. If you still enjoy it enough to continue navigating the mine fields I wish you and all there good health, happy sharing, and a happy birthday.
Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White
Thank You For Being A Friend
theencouragingword 
I would have gone to see Jean Harlow too! 🙂 Happy Birthday
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