This week was my birthday. (Thank you for your wonderful and encouraging thoughts.)
As an aside, I often wonder why we celebrate birthdays. Firstly, is it an achievement? All you needed to do was keep breathing. I guess for some people that’s worth celebrating. There’s a great comment on this: “Every day above ground is a good day.” Also, once you reach an age to be appreciative, surely you should be giving your parents the gifts. After all they were the ones who got you started (in more ways than one.)
Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to tell you about.
In order to celebrate, Danita and I went out for dinner to Hux Dining at Roseville. Lovely restaurant with great staff and the deep fried chocolate brownies are awesome. (I wasn’t going to tell you about that either. Having a senior moment here – that’s what comes from having birthdays.)
While at the restaurant I was on the phone. This is clearly not good restaurant etiquette as a woman at the next table commented to Danita about my inappropriate behaviour. That was until Danita pointed out that I was finding out about my mother who’d just come out of major surgery (in Perth).
This reminds me of a similar situation.
A man was on a train with his two young children. While he stared blankly out the window the children ran riot, running up and down the carriage, making lots of noise and generally annoying the other passengers.
Eventually, one of the other travellers became so incensed he went to the father and gave him a piece of his mind.
(Interesting phrase that – if you give enough people a piece of your mind, will there be any left?)
After being put in his place and having been told how irresponsible he was being, the father apologised and explained that they’d just left the hospital where the children’s mother had died.
The irate passenger changed his tune and made an effort to help with the children.
Why is it we normally assume the worst about people until proven wrong? Let’s work on assuming the best, until proven wrong. I wonder what a difference that would make in the world.
One final thought on birthdays – they’ve been shown to be very good for your health. The people who have the most, live the longest!