"Hey you on the couch...you need a shot" Ben yelled out across the apartment. This was just the starting of many more to come. It was the last adult birthday I attended in March and of what little I remember of it, I had a good time. It was a 180 degree turn from the festivities I attended this weekend in Mobile. So, I finally mustered up enough sentiment to write again and the next few entries are going to be about my weekend in Mobile, Alabama.
After about 5 long years, I finally made another trip to Mobile for Audrey's birthday. Once my initial dilemma of getting the gift was solved, my next one surfaced at the back of my head. How do I capture a 5 year old's birthday? How do I make sure every moment is remembered?Being a grown up, it appears a standard norm these days for measuring one's adaptability was tagged with one's copious amounts of alcohol consumption. This copious amounts of alcohol consumption also meant that you did not want your birthday night to be remembered past that particular weekend and god forbid into the next birthday celebration. This contrasted a kid's birthday where sobriety (an adults lost birthday buddy) hung out.
What struck me the most was how packed the parking lot was at a place called Jumps a lot. Then I moved towards thinking of operating costs. If this does not show you how adulthood has made me lame, then read no further. I bet the first thought going through any kids head was to decorate their bedrooms like Jumps a lot. Iron Man was the theme and our birthday girl was all decked out in the best alternative to an armored suit, a t-shirt. Rest assured, there were no missiles or energy repulsors used at this party. Needless to say, the party was a huge hit and all the purchased memorabilia by Iron Man's mom, Terry, was well worth it.
Through the whole event, the same thought shuffled through my head...how little it actually took to make a kid happy. A few jumpers, a few friends and family, a cake and some decorations was enough to make even the most mischievous kids smile. Did I mention the truck lods of gifts? There was this innocence around every kid, which I believe we as grown up have lost...maybe as a necessity. Maybe, I am wrong. Maybe we do carry this innocence with us through into adult life. Why else are we still happy to see our friends at our birthdays instead of celebrating it alone? Why else do we ask the waiters at random restaurants to sing to our friends in unknown languages? I think the memories we capture as children travel with us through the years and in one way or the other manifest's itself into our grown up lives. What else are we besides culminations of our experiences? So my previous questions were answered. I was sure no matter what I missed through my camera, those memories were captured...by Audrey. This birthday was special to her. She would hopefully take these good memories with her into adulthood to serve as nostalgic moments and aid in the planning of her future celebrations. Eventually down the road, there would be one guest left out. ... sobriety.
