Reading, Writing...My Birthday?

Let's briefly take a trip down memory lane and see why having a birthday in the end of August is not always that amazing, shall we?

1987- It's my 5th birthday and I celebrate by having my first day of kindergarten. I'm crying because my best friend in the whole world (who is also my cousin) is not in the same class that I'm in. To make matters worse, the music teacher yells at me and tells me I need to shape up and start participating or I have to sit in the corner. No cupcakes for me, not even a happy birthday song (yes, I remember this exactly).

1993- My first day of junior high and again, my birthday. Two different elementary schools are combined into one junior and senior high, so a lot of the kids are strangers. One girl, who just so happens to have the same first name as me, gets her locker right next to mine. Unfortunately, back at a second grade mixer, I told her I didn't want to play with her on the jungle gym, so now she hates me. Happy birthday gawky teenager.

2000- My first day of college classes. I know only a handful of people and none of them know it is my birthday. I am overwhelmed by my first experience with college syllabi and I spend that night at the Big Brother/Big Sister Freshman Welcome Party, following the commands of my upperclassman big sister to kiss guys on the cheek and sing Barney songs to the architect students. Embarrassing- yes, memorable- for sure.

There was just never a way to escape it- my birthday always landed on the first or second day of school. If I was lucky, it would be on a Saturday and I could escape the classes and just focus on finishing my new homework before blowing out the candles. Then, for several years after college graduation, I didn't have to worry about school anymore and my birthday was free of all worries.

Now, I am back where I started. Today is my first day of class for the new semester and this weekend I will be focusing on getting my class reading done around my birthday plans. This puts me in such a reminiscent mood; I want to go out and buy some Trapper Keepers, Yikes! pencils and Mr. Sketch markers.