It’s my birthday. Today I am 26, nostalgic.
"My childhood is past, but still present in time.
Because growing older is only a matter of time."
Looking back on my childhood, I can’t help but return to the one thing that’s been present, constant. Its family. I guess in a way my family's childhood has past too. My family has become adult, complicated. Complicated only because we are far from each other. Yet still always constant, changing but unchanging. Always there. Impervious to time.
I still have those memories with me… When I was a kid; dumbly standing in front of the class, in my new birthday dress gleaming and the whole classmates, standing, singing “Happy Birthday to you…” v.e.r.y. s.l.o.w.l.y and LOUDLY. Sing a syllable for a long time until the breath has gone. I'm smiling and thanking everybody while they pick their toffees from the box that I especially used to load the previous night with latest toffee from the TV Advertisement. Further years passed on… Birthday celebrations in college. The ritual of holding the birthday boy in the air and then kicking his ass "birthday bumps" and then treats at fast-food center.
Friends moved away choosing different geographical regions and different career paths and hence "Happy Birthday" calls and emails where the only things that kept the celebration on.
This year at the stroke of midnight, I was all available on gtalk and yahoo. With my phone on loud tone I was awaiting for birthday wishes to pour in – but none came… (I'm pathetic in remembering birthdays anyways, so it’s better not to expect either… Fair right???)
But sitting in my balcony… I even wanted to call some of my close friends in the middle of the night and ask them to wish me. I wanted to say….."Hey!!, Today is my birthday, I want you to wish me". I lost my sleep for the night and was left wondering why no-one is calling me?
I received, the first birthday wish by SMS at 2:00 AM, it read – "Nirnay, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! From Nirnay!” Ya, it’s only me, I SMS myself the first b'day wish. The message brought a BIG smile on my face. I know indeed there are a lot of people thinking about me but I guess they probably missed my birthday.
Morning I woke up with same happiness as always… Since it was Thursday I have to go to work. It was time for me, to CODE!! Happy Birthday Nirnay :)
If I wanted to be happy, I didn't need a day on the calendar to do it.
- Nirnay
