Saturday, December 08, 2007

Twenty-seven

(I'm writing this on the 7th, because I don't know how much time I'll have on the 8th. But I'll change the date to the 8th to avoid confusion.)

Today (if you're pretending with me that it's the 8th already) I turn twenty-seven years old.

Of course, I've been telling people that I was twenty-seven for a few months now. I always do that, because all my friends who are my age have had their birthdays already. I've had time to get used to the age. I also usually forget that I haven't already turned twenty-seven because I remember my age by knocking the two zeros out of the middle of the year. I turned 20 in 2000. I turned 23 in 2003. (1980 really was the best year ever to be born, because of the ease of remembering my age.) I'm not looking forward to my thirtieth birthday, not because of any "growing old" type fears, but because I won't be able knock the zeros out anymore. Thankfully, that's the age where I'll start getting to add the numbers: in 2010 I turn thirty. 20+10=30. In 2023 I turn forty-three. 20+23=43.

For a historian who can't add in her head, I love number games like that.

Twenty-seven is an exciting age, once I get past the fact that I have to stop referring to myself as being in my "mid-twenties." (I'm inching into "late twenties" territory.)

My Daddy was twenty-seven when I was born, and so from now until August, his age will be exactly double mine! We were really excited when we figured that out.

Twenty-seven is also my Dad's exaggerating number. (Mine is fifty billion.) If he tells you that he's already had to do something tweeennnty-seven times, you know that the number is approximate. He emphasises the twenty like that: tweeeennnnty-seven.

It'll also be easier to pretend to be a grown up with this fancy new late-twenties age. Twenty-seven. It sounds nice.

I'll have a lot of fun with being twenty-seven. But I have one question: do I actually have to be a grown-up now?

13 comments:

Marc Vandersluys said...

Happy (mutual) Birthday tomorrow! (I'm not fishing for a return congratulations---I just think it's fun that we have the same birthday).

I turn 30 tomorrow. Not sure how I feel about that. I'm asking the same question about being grown up.

And, no, you don't have to be grown up at 27. I wondered the same thing, but it didn't happen.

Dixie Vandersluys said...

Hey Happy Birthday!! Just be glad that you're not Marc -- he'll be THIRTY tomorrow... I mean today. Have a great day (tomorrow) (today). :)

Dixie Vandersluys said...

As you can see, Marc wrote his message at the same time as me. Now my comment is somewhat redundant. But, still, happy birthday!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I enjoy the simultaneous Vandersluys commenting!

Marc, Happy (mutual) Birthday tomorrow to you too! I love how many people have the same birthday as me; there's a whole list on my Facebook reminder.

Inside the Philosophy Factory said...

No, you really don't have to be a grown-up now.

My mom told me about when she turned 28 and decided that she had to be serious. I was a newborn and my sister hadn't been born yet. She went after a huge promotion at work and got it. She was working a lot and really didn't enjoy it -- but, she had to be an ADULT!!!!!

After a couple of years she realized that she hated her job and asked for her old job back -- then she got pregnant with my sister and cut down to part-time -- by the year she was 30, she decided not to be an adult anymore, as it was no fun. Mom and I had this discussion when I was about your age, we decided that being an ADULT isn't worth the necessary sacrifices, so I decided to skip it all together!!

Have a great birthday -- I'm hoping to do the same :).

Teacher Lady said...

Happy jaundice anniversary! You'll always be yellow baby to me.

Matt said...

Happy Birthday Maryanne! You'll be happy to know of another person you share a birthday with, a darling little baby named Isabella. Bella is the daughter of the couple who run the bed & breakfast I'm staying at, she turns one today, and I think it was kind of neat that I was around last year when she was born.

Have a great day!

Leslie M-B said...

Happy birthday!

27 is a good age. Enjoy it!

Anonymous said...

"It's our vice-president's birthday. That's you!"
or
"Happy Birthday Dear Ah-Aaahhhh"
whichever you prefer.

Remember, when you turn twenty-seven, if you had neck rings and jowls they disappear after one month. It's a fact. Shannon read it in a medical journal.

susan said...

Happy, happy birthday!!

The History Enthusiast said...

I hope your birthday has been fabulous!

Bronwyn said...

I'm late! Happy Birthday!!!!!

PG said...

1980 was an awesome year to be born! Growing up, I always believed that 27 was going to be a great year. So far...it doesn't feel very different from 26. Happy belated birthday.