The Countdown Has Begun

Most of the time I am not a “me me me� kind of person however there is one day a year when I expect all around me to focus 100% on me… that day, 19th July to be exact, is my birthday.

From an early age I have always enjoyed my birthday and the run up to it, which usually starts on July 20th the year before. I remember one particular year when I subjected my dad to endless chanting of,

“my birthday is the day, the day after, the day after (repeat by number of days until my birthday).

I am sure most people thought that as I grew older I would outgrow this pre-birthday excitement but I think if anything I have, with increased spending power and freedom, just got worse.

It is a good thing that I do not have any aspiration to become president because I would not just declare July 19 a public holiday, I would ensure that the entire month of July was dedicated to celebrating the fact that I had graced the earth with my presence.

So “birthday mad� am I that I have even considered asking Google to do a special Google holiday logo on my birthday. In fact had I the skill or ability I would by now have designed my own Google logo fitting of this event and sent it to them asking demanding they display it on their site.

Back in the day when I was a little child I attended schools both in Kenya and in England and there was at least one person who I shared a birthday with. While I was slightly annoyed to have to share my special day nothing can match the feelings I have for my family who have gone to great lengths to steal my thunder.

I am always happy to welcome new born additions to our family but they should have known better than to bring forth their young on days on or around my birthday.

July 12 is now spent celebrating the birthday of Baby Tesh, who is hardly a baby anymore. This is exactly a week before my birthday and in previous years this translated to a solid seven pre-birthday shopping days. Instead of the usual “what would you like for your birthday?â€? I find my family asking me silly things such as “o you think we should get babyTesh the spider man outfit?” Er….hello…what about me?

To add insult to injury July 18 yes, the very day before mine, is Big Tesh’s birthday. I am sure there is legislation somewhere that prohibits the birth of children within 24 hours either before or after the birthday of a fellow family member unless they are giving birth to twins. (I won’t even go there!)

To be fair it is not just my family who have betrayed me in this manner. Nelson Madiba Mandela whose birthday is on July 18 has also done his best to upstage me. When I was young I dreamt of a time when I would be old enough to have grown-up parties and invite the world’s VIPs. What does Mr Mandela do? Three months before my 16th birthday he becomes President of South Africa! Granted he came into this world first, but for a man who campaigns for brotherhood, peace and harmony he should have thought of the impact such a move would have on my birthday celebrations. So hurt was I that I have decided that if when Madiba contacts me to ask for a joint celebration, I shall decline.

Recently I became a blogger and I was excited at the prospect of owning my own little space where I could be all “me me me�. I had fantastic on-line birthday plans which included my entire blog family and friends stopping by to bask in the wonderful blog glow of me. Alas! I have now been denied this opportunity. Call it coincidence, but I prefer treachery, there is another blogger, Wg-K, whose birthday is on exactly the same day as mine. My Blog Twin as I call her, did not just join the blogsphere she is also a member of KBW. As I type this I am drafting a KBW constitution and we’ll see how many of these birthday stealers get to join KBW now. I may as well cover all bases and post it to the guys who run Blogger too.

The thought of emigrating did cross my mind and my first choice would have been Belize but my former host, Ms Emily celebrates her birthday on July 20th. I have never been keen on space travel….until now.

I think I have covered everyone who was born on or around my birthday. I have done so because I want to take this chance to wish you all a truly blessed birthday, way way way in advance. I want to ensure that between now and July 19 all my attention and hopefully the attention of my blog family and friends is focused on me and my birthday.

If I have left anyone out, believe me it was intentional…but have a happy birthday all the same.

You have been warned…the countdown has begun.