Some people love celebrating their birthdays and I am one of them. Last year I was lucky enough to have my birthday fall on a Friday and I celebrated all weekend. Three days of celebrating turning 22. 

This year I have another weekend birthday and am planning on celebrating at least twice. I don’t understand the mindset of some people who think that once you turn a certain age you can’t have a party. I think you can have whatever kind of party you want at any age.

Last year I went out to eat with two of my friends and then played laser tag on my actual birthday. The next day I went to see Tom Holland’s newest movie, because I always support my fictional boyfriend, with my friend and then went out to eat with her and her husband. My last day of celebration was on Sunday with a birthday lunch with family. 

I think my fascination with birthday parties started in elementary school where I would have big sleepover parties. I would have the most fun birthday sleepovers, but one in particular didn’t go so well. I had the bright idea of mixing my friend groups for my fifth-grade birthday party. I don’t know if everyone is like this, but I have different friend groups that don’t often mix. I invited at least six girls to my party. Six very different fifth-grade girls hyped up on ice cream sundae sugar can only end one way. Chaos. I guess it was memorable, but I learned my lesson.  

When I turned 13, I wanted to have a bigger party and invite more people, so my parents rented the bowling alley for me. I invited a lot of people and quite a few of them showed up. All but my first-ever boyfriend I was dating at the time. Of course I forgave him and of course it didn’t work out because we were 13, but I guess it must have stung a little for me to remember his absence at my bowling party 10 years ago. No hard feelings. Kind of. 

For my 21st birthday, I had a birthday lunch with family. One of the gifts I was most excited about was a bubble umbrella that I desperately needed. I was going to school at MTSU at the time and all it did was rain when I had to walk to classes. I got absolutely soaked nearly every day and the umbrella I had would invert at the slightest gust of wind. I was so excited to go back to school and use my new umbrella, but this was March of 2020. The world literally shut down a week after my birthday and I did not get to use my new umbrella for nearly a year.  

This year I plan to be ambitious and it may end disaster, but if it does I will probably write about it. I am turning 23 on Saturday, March 5 and apparently I only throw large parties when a three is involved because my last big one was when I was 13. Hopefully year 23 will be kind to me.   

Standard reporter Bethany Porter can be reached at 473-2191.