March 18, 2010
“All the world is a birthday cake, so take a piece.. ." - George Harrison.
March is a month I look forward to each year for many reasons, but mostly three.
The first day of Spring, according to the Gregorian calendar; the first time the frogs sing in my backyard pond signaling that Spring is officially, finitely and absolutely here, according to Mother Nature; and my March birthday, according to my birth certificate.
However, this year and for the very first time, I celebrated my birthday according to Facebook protocol.
Let's call it a 'cyber' birthday. An enthralling, exhausting, and humbling experience it is, to put it mildly.
For those of you who do not have a Facebook account, perhaps it's time you joined the party, that is, if you want to have a fascinating, up-to-the minute, hip birthday event that costs absolutely nothing.
I'll explain.
Facebook lets your Facebook friends know when your birthday is about to occur. In fact, it gives them plenty of warning so they won't miss it. It prompts them for days to remember your birthday. Incidentally, never again will you forget someone's birthday or they yours. Facebook won't let it happen, but if somehow you forget, no worries, you can always send a belated virtual bouquet of allergy-free flowers.
Facebook offers your online friends and family a choice of virtual gifts to send including artful birthday cakes and colorful 'clip art' balloons.
And that is exactly what I found when I woke up on my birthday-- a 'pretend birthday party' complete with cyber gifts, songs, videos, cards, party favors, party decorations, cakes, ice cream and candy.
As I scrolled down my home page on Facebook, I found scores of other Happy Birthday greetings. I had no idea I had so many friends and friends of friends and friends of their friends twice removed. That's how Facebook works--connects, links, expands, networks. You may not know the friend in real life, but you can become virtual friends online.
In fact there were so many greetings, I spent the whole morning, nearly three hours to be exact, connecting, reading and responding to Happy Birthday posts. (But don't tell my husband, OK. He thought I was working on taxes.)
The upshot: I figure I could live in a remote cabin in the mountains and be perfectly happy as long as I have high-speed internet service for next year's 'virtual birthday party'.
Y'all come or have your own party.
It's beyond cheap, costs absolutely nothing, and here is the good part, you can laugh, cry and reminisce within the privacy of your home without dressing up.
Disclaimer: there is a downside--craving a 'real' birthday cake.
In fact, I missed it so much that I placed an urgent call to the one offspring who is an inactive Facebook user and who undoubtedly missed my virtual birthday party.
Fortunately, this particular son is a master at finding the perfect bakery and lives close enough to make a birthday cake happen. I called my 'cupcake connection'.
"So son, I asked longingly, is there a cupcake in my future?"
"Yes, Mom," I know you want a cupcake," he replied. "I'm a step ahead of you and already found two big ones."
"Do they have sparkles and lots of icing?" I worried.
He answered sweetly, "Yes, of course they have sparkles, it's for you."
How sweet is that?
Granted, maybe there are things a virtual birthday just can't buy after all.
Come to think of it, scratch the "hibernating in the mountains, high-speed-internet birthday party idea."
Let us eat cake!
