I’m 60 today. The start of my 7th decade on planet earth.
I should have been having a bit of a do with my family – but that would have involved unnecessary travel, mixing households who were in two different tiers (I know we’re all in lockdown now, but some of us were in Tier 2 and some of us were in Tier 3, and some of us were about to go into Tier 3 when the decision was made), and no hugging. Oh, and more than six of us.
I decided that we just shouldn’t.
I’d arranged time off work, but I cancelled the annual leave and so today I will be going into work. I didn’t want to spend the day at home on my own, so I’ve made some cupcakes and I’ll spend the day with my work family instead.
It’ll be a funny old birthday – but just the same for everyone else having a birthday this year, unless they were lucky enough to squeeze it in during January or February.
It’s got me thinking about ‘birthdays I have known’.
My 10th birthday was in Hull. I don’t really remember it particularly, but it would have been a traditional kiddies birthday party with party games, jelly and ice cream, and a cake with candles.
My 20th was spent at sea, as was my 21st. For my 21st they’d bought me a cake in Durban, South Africa and apparently I was walking round the town the day they went to pick it up, and they kept nearly bumping in to me and had to keep dodging out of sight. I never noticed a thing!!
By my 30th I was working as a claims negotiator for a major insurance broker in Newcastle, and I was pregnant with my son who was born in April the following year.
By my 40th I was teaching – Year 1, in a Primary School in North Tyneside. The kids had realised it was my birthday, but didn’t know how old I was, so I asked them to guess. 5 year olds have absolutely no idea about adults’ ages, and they guessed every age from 13 to 100!!
We were living in Ireland by the time I turned 50. In fact it was only a month or so before we returned to the UK after living there for 5 years. I think I probably spent the day packing boxes!!
And so here we are. 60.
I don’t feel 60. But nevertheless, 60 is what I am.
I’ll be working until 5, then at 6 I’m joining a virtual session laid on by the gym I go to while they’re in lockdown. Then I’m going to get a take away and a cheeky mid-week bottle of wine.
And I’m going to hope like hell that things have improved by next year.
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