When people hear that I was born on New Year's Day, they tend to envision me having an awesome time, complete with a free party I don't have to organize myself, noise makers and booze, stellar fireworks, and a sparkly ball that drops at the stroke of midnight. Their minds mostly tend to drift towards the booze.
That's when I have to remind them that I actually prefer not to drink (I know, I know -- I'm a prude). If I go to a party during any time of the year, I'm the professional designated driver and I like it that way.
Not to mention that a New Year's Eve bash normally consists of me reminding everyone that it's not my birthday quite yet.
It's New Year's Day. Not Eve. Day.
It's especially frustrating on the New Year's Eve leading up to your 21st birthday. (I kept repeating, "I'm not legal yet, guys!" like I was a broken record.)
That's assuming that people remember, though. Most don't.
Don't even get me started on how much trouble I have with convincing cashiers that my ID isn't fake. I'm serious! Apparently there are folks out there who have difficulty believing that someone could possibly be born on the first day of the year. They'll scrutinize the "01/01" on my card for what feels like eternity, muttering "January first" under their breath as if it's such a hard thing to register (no pun intended). It absolutely throws them for a loop. I once had to pull out my state ID and my tribal ID in addition to my driver's license for a woman before she finally believed me and let me purchase my lottery ticket.
I won't mention the present bit. I got over that a long time ago. I'd much rather have someone's time than a present on any day.
Through all of that, though, I wouldn't be doing my New Year's Day birthday justice if I didn't take a moment to step back and think about all the cool and unexpected things that it does offer me.
When I was a kid, I never had an issue with my best friend's parents agreeing to let her stay the night with me on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. What parent in their right mind would say no to free babysitting over the holidays?
My birthday can really brighten up someone else's day. And, in turn, it brightens up mine. There's something that people find magical and uplifting about meeting a New Year's Day baby (especially while they're working on that day). I've had people sing to me over store intercoms before. It's pretty rad.
People also tend to be in a really festive and hopeful mood. It's a new year, after all! Everyone can get a fresh start!
I have never had to go to school on my birthday. It's a guaranteed day off!
My go-to New Year's resolution (turn another year older) has always been successful.
I normally like to hit the mall and take advantage of all the good sales and clearances while a fair population of my town sifts through a post-New Year's Eve hangover.
People taking the time to celebrate my birthday as my birthday (not just double-dipping it with New Year's Eve) makes me appreciate them all the more. My husband has scored some major brownie points by insisting we celebrate my birthday on the actual day. and making it as special as we can.
Last but not least, my birthday can make New Year's Eve and New Year's Day more special if I let it. I've established some nifty little birthday traditions for myself, like writing one profound memory per each year that I've lived during the hour leading up to the ball dropping. That gets overwhelming after so many birthdays, though, so I've been considering just committing myself to trying something new each year.
While my birthday has its combination of ups and downs, I do try to make the most of it. Holidays aside, January 1 is my birthday, after all. So, for 2016, I'm making the resolution to make each birthday I have better than the last.
