This was a big year for me. I knew I wanted to make my 40th birthday something I would remember for a long time, and really the only thing I wanted desperately to do was go dancing. I wanted to listen to good music and shake it. And I did. What I didn't realize at first was that I would be trying karaoke for the first time in my life with 20 of my closest friends in order to fulfill that wish. But hey, it all worked out in the end and I had a celebration I'll remember forever. But let's back up a day. That was Saturday night. Before that, I woke to a snowy white out on Friday morning that threatened to derail my birthday breakfast plans of grabbing donuts at Peter Pan Bakery. So we wouldn't move the car and drive in all that slush only to have trouble parking in Greenpoint. No, we would just hop on the 7 to the G and get there in half an hour. Genius! Why had we never done this before? Talking Dad into joining Nacho and me was a little bit of work, but he seemed a good sport. He was rewarded of course with "the best" bagel he'd ever eaten fixed with egg and bacon to round out the savory delight. Oh yes, this counter service wasn't all about the donuts. I grabbed a dozen to go and we all split an eclair before trudging back home in the frosty slush.
Later that night, we ordered in some sushi and a tasty bento box from TJ's Asian Bistro to cap off my day of birthday treats. Nacho and I managed to make it out for a night cap at Claret which was a nice, if chilly, end to the day walking back. On Saturday we prepped for the party getting some drinks and food at Costco since the karaoke bar was BYOB and bring your own food--I could bag everything up and make it a party to go. That's my kind of evening. And it was. What a fun time we had. The room wasn't much bigger than the 20 or so seats it offered, but it just meant we all had to squeeze in and share. And the gang definitely brought their A-game with their selection of songs. Antoin's "Gangsta's Paradise," Jamie's "In My Life," Humphrey's "Moondance," Jesse's "Ode to Billy Joe," Tania's "Kiss Me Deadly," Amanda and Max's "Tiny Dancer," and Jenny's "So What Cha Want?" were all definite highlights. I really hoped every person there would participate for at least one song and almost everyone did. When I initially thought about the kind of celebration I wanted for my birthday, I hemmed and hawed a bit about how big to make it. I tend to like more intimate gatherings but I also know that to have a party sometimes you need to go whole hog. I couldn't afford to invite half of Sunnyside either, but I wanted to share my first day in a new decade with so many of the friends who had made the last one special.
At the age of 30, I moved to New York, found a few years of incredible freedom working and traveling and then by 33 had my first child. At 34, I was laid off and survived what could have been a crippling change in circumstance by embracing my new life and the friends who rallied around me. At 36, I did it again and had another little girl. And by 38, I set out on a new endeavor to share my photography with others. I guess 39 was a year of staying the course and building on what I've made. And now at 40, I really feel like life is good. I like where I am and who I'm with. And while I know nothing stays the same forever, I can appreciate this place and time for what it is. And that's how my birthday felt. It felt like my past and future were meeting in one crazy, kickass lightshow of a room and so many of my friends were there to make sure I enjoyed the moment. We faded out on an early 90s classic "Wonderwall" and I remember feeling like there wasn't anything wrong in the world. And for a minute at least, that was true. As much as I'm embracing this new decade, it's still a tricky age. I still have enough energy to party on nights like that and to feel the euphoria of youth, but coming home to a houseful of sleeping kids and a sick stomach reminded me that in fact, I'm no young thang. Yes, I partied like a rock star, if her name was Pat Benatar or Belinda Carlisle. And no I don't regret it. You only get to turn 40 once, and I did it my way. How cool is that?
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