A columnist in Australia was recently disappointed with the attention paid to his birthday. I totally get that. But his solution to the problem is just a tad extreme. He proposes: “So once we hit 21, let’s stop celebrating our birthdays.”

Sure, he’s got this hidden in some bumpf about how we should not need one special day to organize a social gathering with friends. Instead, we should try and do so more often throughout the year. Of course, this is true! Let’s all get together more often to celebrate one another and share some laughs.

Only in reality that’s tough, right? I’ve long been teased for being a “cruise director.” Trying to get people together is one of my ways of making and keeping friends. Yet, as we roll past our 20s (when everyone’s up for a party/get-together/BBQ/movie/game night because they still have time, disposable income and the ability to bounce back) it becomes more difficult to get people together. Birthday or no birthday. The advantage of a birthday celebration is that people work harder to find the babysitter, put the date in their calendar, and get out of pjs to stay up past 10 p.m.

Birthday’s are the trump card of all social planning (other than perhaps a wedding). Planning two coinciding birthdays can cause family strife: witness the family drama when party plans collided. Yet, ultimately, the more cause to celebrate the better. I’d say instead of jettisoning the entire tradition this gentleman in Australia would be better served by planning ahead.

Image source: http://www.highlowfooddrink.com/2011/01/easy-entertaining-pink-and-purple-polka.html