Barb’s Burblings

2004
I’m in London; beginning of a week’s vacation. I spend the day in Leicester Square and Covent Garden and catch a show that night…though I can’t remember which one. It’s glorious. I take advantage of traveling alone and hit Liverpool to do Beatles stuff, Bath for Jane Austen, and World War II museums.

1999
It’s my 21st birthday. My birthday is a Thursday, so naturally, Brent, Steve, and Becca take me to the Pub after finishing the Burgian on Wednesday night. When dropping Becca off at Lamp Post, I infamously reply “Happy birthday, Becca!” when Becca tells me “Happy birthday.” At that point, I had just had three shots in, like, a half hour.

1994
For my sweet 16, I’m in Montana. We just moved that summer. The big football game against my high school’s crosstown rival is that night. “Your birthday is the Bison-Russell game?” I’m repeatedly asked. I point out that it’s actually the other way around, but don’t really get anywhere with that. I’m pretty sure my parents go out this night. I want to say that I see a movie with my friend Traci, but can’t swear to that.

1989
I’m in 6th grade, which means I’m probably doing something with my best friend Andrea, though it’s kind of weird, because we’re in different “houses” in our middle school after 2 years in the same elementary school homeroom. Probably a sleepover.

1984
We’re living in New Jersey. This may have been the year of the Halloween-themed birthday party, though I think that came later. What does one do for a 6th birthday party?

1979
I turn 1. The Iranian hostage crisis begins. Happy birthday!

2009
For those of us born on November 4:
After a year of chaos everything will start to come together and make sense around the time of your birthday. Don’t rush it, because all of the disconnected parts that make up your life need to be tied together for this transition to make complete sense. Becoming aware may seem like a magical thing that happens in a moment, but in truth, it has taken your entire life to get to the place where you can make this monumental change. Over the years you have woven the strands that are your life and now they are ready to become one rope stronger then any individual strand. Be proud of yourself, you have had the patience and tenacity to continue looking when others would have taken the easy way out a long time ago.