Image by Will Clayon
So, not only did I survive the 37th birthday rager mentioned below, I actually loved it. Amidst the mass craziness, I rolled with a small bubble of friends. A good percentage of them even connected with the mid-90s hip hop that I “dared” people to request from the DJ so I didn’t have to. Mid-90s hip hop is my safe place. I know the words. I can do the running man.
Furthermore, I juiced for liver health the entire month of March with the obsessive fervor that only an Aspie can pull off, and I enjoyed 2 ½ drinks with minimal hangover consequences thus.
So, I call shenanigans on 33 is the Happiest Age article that virtually every major news site ran yesterday. For me, 33 was a sucky age. It involved chronic vertigo, anemia, loads of barfing and an insomniac preschooler who trashed my house. So far, 37 not only brings oodles of 90s hip hop, but also health that borders on good and an almost-7-year-old who sleeps 11 hours a night and cleans the house for fun.
As my favorite Chinese YA author says, “Year of the Dragon, baby!” It’s a good year to turn 37!
What’s your happiest age? Why?
Happy Birthday! So glad it was a success.
I love being 51, but I have to preface this by saying, my 20′s were dreadful, my 30′s were considerably better than my 20′s, my 40′s were, comparatively speaking, wonderful, and now I’m positively elated at the ripe old age of 51. When I turned 50 a friend of mine said – Oh but haven’t you heard, 50 is the new 30. Gotta love that. (Though I’m not sure what that means for all of you still in your 30′s.)
I think it’s true that life just gets easier with age. I love not caring what anybody thinks of me – a definite luxury that comes with getting older. My 20′s were a mess!
Happy Birthday!!! Yea! Awesome birthday-rager! 90′s hip-hop SWEET!
I just had my 39th so far it has been one of the best. I cannot really recall any as more spectacular than the other. I love getting older and adorning a nice silvery grey stripe only on the right side of my head making me look like some awesome superhero chic! Right now it is easy to hide all I have to do is part my hair to that side, so I won’t frighten anyone with my superpowers. Those would be googly eyes forcing truth out of everyone, or the lasso of truth if I happen to remember to bring it with me.
Birthdays have always been a wonderful day, except for my thirteenth. That was the worst ever! I won’t talk about it. I did like turning 30 for some reason, but I think it had to do with chocolate crumble ice cream cake and that I got a squeezable stress cow from my co-workers. 8-P I was collecting black-and-white cows at the time so to me it was WAY awesome! I named her Gertrude.
Angel – every time you comment you crack me up! It’s very considerate of you to hide your superhero hair, lest you frighten people with your superpowers. LOL!
Well happy birthday gurl! 37 was a particularly wonderful year for me and may it continue to be for you as well. And just absolutely loving the 40′s. It just seems to get better and better. I seem to care less about more – and that attitude seems to correlate to my increased happiness!
Thank you, Life and Ink! I hear 40′s are awesome. I quite look forward to them!
They are, just don’t rush it!
I loved 37! It’s the year my wonderful daughter entered my life and helped to complete it although I’m not complaining about 54 either. Happiness is not an age!
P. S. Happy Birthday!!! Glad you had a great one!
Thank you!
Happy Happy Birthday…and many more returns ( because since I was a little gal I can not say happy birthday without adding many returns thanks to Pooh Bear’s constant dialogue in my head the moment happy birthday is said:)
I like all ages thus far. Hmmmmm I just don’t like whenever I am sick in the ages. Right now it’s been a month and I still can’t walk well due to back issues and well, that at 27 sucks! I want to rund and move furniture and bend down and pick up kids – it sucks. So right now I am not liking 27 but truthfully its my body I am not liking. How’s that for an answer?
Would love to see pictures some time as I still do not know what you look like!:)
I’m sorry to hear your body isn’t cooperating, Kmarie. I just left a ranting, angry post about Aspie health issues over at your blog!
I’m not sure I’m up for posting a pic, but I’m happy to email you one!
You did? It did not go through. Drat. I wish I could read it!!!! Which blog? Sure, email me one. Do you have my email?
Grrr! Really? You didn’t get it? I put it on Acquiring Balance! I don’t have your email.
Oh and apparently I am 28. Ha ha not even joking. My husband told me I turned it last november…!:)
OMG – I do that all the time! People think I’m faking it when I say I don’t remember how old I am. Is that an Aspie thing? Or is it just a getting old thing? LOL!
I was wrong – I put the comment on Aspie Audrey because of the pizza. I hate how fragile Aspie health is. It’s the one part of Asperger’s that I could absolutely do without.
I think life just tends to fall in place as we age. I’m just at 33 right now, and I’m the most content and peaceful with life than I ever have been. Life in and of itself isn’t any better, but my sense of self is stronger than ever.
That’s great news!
Sounds like you had yourself a great time! Yeaaaaa!!!
Hmmmmm…if I had to pick a single birthday, I think it would be my 50th or as I liked to call it “The Year of Di!” Put all the “juicing of my liver” from the past 30 years to the test.
I’ve discovered that lots of water throughout the night is a MUST to prevent a hangover.
Cheers!
“Put all the “juicing of my liver” from the past 30 years to the test” Ha! It sounds like it was a great one!
Happy Birthday! I’m new to your blog (stumbled upon it) and I must say I love it! Glad you had a great day! And here is one of my latest posts, if you don’t mind me sharing with you =) http://speakingonthespectrum.blogspot.com/2012/04/autism-awareness-and-acceptance-bull.html
Thank you, Margie! I’m glad you’re here
I read your post & commented. I think your point is very well-stated. I’m always leery of talking about the interventions I chose because people get ruthless. It’s such a charged topic and autism is so varied, I think there will never be a united front. Add to all that the fact that autistic people tend to see things in black & white and I think it makes it even harder.
Happy Birthday! I’ve been reading your blog for a while. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder reading anything else in my life. Please, please please write a book! The world needs your quirk!
Wow! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that brightens my day. I am writing a book. Crossing fingers that a publisher will want it
Wow I just got this notice today — talk about a delayed reaction! Anyway, so excited to hear you’re writing a book — I can’t wait to read it! I’m a writer too — my first novel is coming out soon!
Congratulations! Keep us posted on the novel’s release!
My happiest age was 38 and the last 3 months of my 37th year. We had moved into a new home with our young children and it was a wonderful time
I like your blog! Why did you stop? I have HFA and am a wife, too. Your positive attitude is refreshing.
Thank you! I’m not quite sure why I’ve stopped blogging. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I don’t. I write fiction a lot, so I often find that if I’m blogging, I back-burner the fiction & vice versa. Seems my brain can’t do both? In any case, I’ll be back one day & I appreciate your stopping by!
So I’m sitting here crying my eyes out and I still had a blog entry from flappinessis.com on my browser, from last night. I didn’t read it (I did save it to read later) because I was distracted by the Autism Positivity button. I clicked. Saw your blog on the little list at the bottom and remembered how awesome your blog was and figured it would cheer me up because I feel like a big freaking misunderstood alien today. So I scroll down and I see, “37 Happiest Age, My Study Says”. It’s kismet. I was crying because today is my birthday and yes, it’s my 37th birthday and I’m dehydrated and counting the minutes until kiddo’s bedtime so I can go to sleep to. Spouse gave me a gift that triggered every possible issue that I worked so hard to deal with and that I was going to avoid completely for 24 hours and have the first good birthday (without anyone effing it up) EVER. Seriously. It’s like his own special savant skill to find something that doesn’t just put the knife in but turns it and then gets zombies to come along and eat my entrails while some jerk in the corner steps on puppy feet and another person recites myth as fact and I don’t have the ability to correct them (aspie pet peeve) so untruths spread across the land carried on the backs of exploited and marginalized innocents. Seriously, he’s got that much talent for it.
Anyway, I do tend to look at birthdays like weddings and somewhat of a parallel to “it’s not the wedding that matters, it’s the marriage”… It’s not the birthday that matters, it’s the rest of the year. Maybe. Then again, as with our wedding, I’d just like the freaking chance to be appreciated, adored, listened to, and respected for one day out of the year. ROAR. So will 37 be my happiest age? I don’t know. Maybe I need to start thinking of my birthday as the New Year’s Eve of my year- New Year’s Eve can be a total bust, but it doesn’t dictate the rest of the year. I know that, but I really hate that my birthday seems to be a day when I have had to, historically, tolerate the crappy behavior of others and it’s brings up all of the old issues that had been filed away. I won’t call this new year now, because I’m really bad at that sort of thing, but I will check back in 365 if I have any more insight on if this year was my happiest. Big hugs. Thanks for having such a wonderful blog and making me feel a little less alien today.
Argh! I’m so mad at myself for missing this comment. I’m so sad for you that your birthday was the pits and I hope so much that your year has been an enormous success. Has it? Are you still out there?