Birthday Buddies

Sometimes birthdays are a real drag. It's not that I don't want it to be a good thing, it just never is. When I was a kid, my favorite book was this Sesame Street book with Grover telling you not to turn the pages because there's a monster at the end of the book. Of course, you keep reading and turning the pages, and he gets more and more frantic about the impending doom on the last page. He even goes so far as to try to build obstacles to try to stop you; nailing the page down, using glue, and so on. And when you get there, it turns out that Grover is the monster at the end of the book, and it's not so bad after all. I guess birthdays are kind of the same. I'll fret about it for the few weeks before, but then when it's over, not much has changed. And I wonder if the people around me are thinking the same things. It seems like I've known so many other people with September birthdays along the way. And I don't usually forget these people because of when their birthday is. So I guess this is my salute to the other people who have September birthdays. For Bill Murray and Stephen King(same birthday as me), that pretty and smart girl in my class that I'm jealous of but I like anyway(same day AND she's only 21), that pen pal I had in fourth grade (same day). For my brother and Greta Garbo (both on the18th), my ex-friend from the South (17th), that geeky guy from high school that's too good to talk to me now (3rd). For my friend's sister and her ex's sister (both 22nd), my roommate's philandering playboy (20th), and that guy I met once who's name was Lake (15th). For the five most significant ex's: Ohio boy, who left me for a girl with beer (24th), Sam, who took my virginity, then married his ex (24th), Musician boy, who married the next girl (24th), and Sensitive Beach guy, who shattered my heart into a million pieces (also 24th...does anyone else see the pattern here?)And let's not forget Chef, who once asked me to marry him. Over the phone. While he was New York. With his mom. (26th), for my Musician buddies Guitar Pete (23rd), Bass Grant and Guitar Forrest (both 28th), who I miss a whole lot, especially when I go to jazz bars.

I guess that's it, but I know I'm forgetting a few. Happy Birthday to all of you. Hopefully the monster at the end of your books is as lovable and harmless as Grover.