My Birthday: An Overview
Yesterday was my 32nd birthday. Getting old is one of those things--like marriage and childbirth and standing in line at the grocery store--that happens to everyone but feels particularly significant when it is happening to you, which makes the triteness of the feelings involved sort of maddening. So, yeah, for the last week, even though I know birthdays are meaningless constructions and etc., I was feeling all those totally cliche feelings associated with not-being-as-young-as-you-used-to-be, and worrying that the best of it was behind me, and that I had failed some really important test, and yeah. You know. Or if you don't, you will.
But then, my actual birthday was amazingly fantastic. First, I got up and watched Liverpool FC's 2005 come-from-behind victory against AC Milan.
Then I read for a long time. (I finished this book, which was excellent and is an obvious hint.)
Then Sarah and I went to see Inglorious Basterds, which I liked a lot.
Then I got a pretty amazing birthday present: Tickets to see Inter Milan play Udinese IN ITALY in October. (Those are Italian soccer teams.)
Then Hank and the nerdfighters made me this, which was amazingly nice of them and made me cry and everything. (Also: ZE FRANK WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.)
Thank you nerdfighters, and thank you Hank, and thank you Internet--for making my birthday so nice, and also for reminding me what awesome looks like.
posted by John Green @ Tuesday, August 25, 2009
23 Comments
23 Comments:
Happy birthday John, I'm glad the grand total of 4 seconds of which I was spliced into the video assisted in making your birthday awesome. =)
I was living in Liverpool in 2005... I'll remember that night until the day I die!
Glad you had a good birthday. =)
I am glad you had a great birthday. Is there going to be a nerdfighter gathering in Italy when you are there for the game? I know one person in Italy who would love a gathering.
I wish Ze Frank would wish me a happy birthday.
Happy Birthday!
Glad it was such a fun one.
You are still younger than me. So you're not officially old. Yet. =)
Going to Amsterdam to see Ze Frank was totally worth it, and I'm sure the look on your face was priceless. :)
If you're going to Italy, will you visit other countries in Europe, like, I dunno, the Netherlands?
John,
It sounds as though you had a marvelous John Day even without the Nerdfighters, so glad the video lifted the levels of awesomeness. Since I don't film, I finally got around to pulling out some quotes to give you for your b-day.
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
--Hunter S. Thompson
After all these years, I am still involved in the process of self-discovery. It's better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.
--Sophia Loren
And the best for last, from "Letters to a Young Poet":
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
--Rainer Maria Rilke
Alicia
I'm glad you had an awesome birthday.
The video was epic on all levels.
I like the hint. I assume, naturally, that it is a hint to your new book? Perhaps your new novel is inspired by Into the Wild? One of my favs.
Happy Birthday!
awwww....i'm glad you had an awesome day!!! i made a picture that couldn't get used in the video, but maybe i'll send it to you...
Sounds like you had a great day.
Italy! Wow, that sounds fantastic.
I'm glad to hear that you loved the collab. Nerdfighteria is very made of awesome. I did have a song, but couldn't record it because the software I use hadn't been reinstalled after the big "computer crash of '09". Sorry.
I shall be ready for the next big collab.
Hugs and stuff -Kitto family.
Happy birthday! I remember 32 as a good time--hope your year's an awesome one. I urge you to appreciate the things that your body can do without either immediate or next-day pain or (heaven forbid) a visit to the ER. Overall, a lot of things about life do get better as you get older, but ease of body maintenance is unfortunately not one of them. So if you harbor any ambitions that involve significant physical challenges, don't put them off!
You're coming to Italy? Awesome! Is the game in Milan? Think you might be able to squeeze in a Nerdfighter gathering?
I am so glad that this birthday was so great. I was not in the collab, but I was one of the first people to post a video response.
Happy birthday, I'm glad you had a good day.
And as for the cliche feelings.. well, this will mean nothing from me since I don't really know anything but, from what I've seen, I think that you have achieved a hell of a lot, if there's a test you've definately passed it and there's a lot of great stuff ahead of you.
"like marriage and childbirth and standing in line at the grocery store--that happens to everyone..."
Ha!
Happy Birthday, John! 32 is so not old. I'm not sure it even counts as middle-aged. (I got 20 on ya.)
Dude, think you're feeling old at 32? Wait until you're 36! Ha! No really though, thanks for calling. You're a real mensch. -pete
So... this makes your Ze Frank number 1, and everyone in this video (including me) has a ZF number of 2 by proxy.
Happy 32nd Birthday. You're not old. Not at all.
-Amira
PS. I had no idea you were into football (soccor)! Such a shame you support L'pool though. Arsenal FTW! Ahem, Happy Birthday again.
I'm glad that your day was awesome :D
Yes yes! you're comming to Italy! are there enough nerdfighters for a gathering? if not, are you planning visiting other cities in Italy (like florence...)?
hey, I would say happy birthday, but it's been a while so I won't. I don't visit your blog very often and I didn't visit on my birthday, which is a shame because we were born on the same day in the same year on opposite sides of the world. I know another person born on this day. Angus and I were born in the same city, but not the same hospital.
And my friend Clare in school was born the day before me. I think all the girls born at this time were called Clare, but you guys got some variety in your names.
I didn't have as fun a b.day as you but i had those same thoughts about getting old, then other thoughts got in the way :)
I will be 32 in a day, and have been asking myself those very same questions...but thanks john, your blog has gone and cheered me right on up, there is light at the end of the tunnel..haaaha I now plan to bake myself a cake, pin Balloons up and make like its 1985 again..oooo the joy. Sending you warmest wishes from snow-covered Liverpool(well not very far away) ...Here's to Birthdays..
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