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Aug 18, 2003 It was my birthday. But..I'd been awake all night ....madly rushing to meet a writing dealine...and at 1:47 p.m., suddenly someone tapped me doggedly HARD on the shoulder...so I stood up fast and whipped off my headset.... To my surprise all my co-workers were facing me...laughing to the point of tears because they'd been singing Happy Birthday while I didn't notice..... They'd sung all the way through the song till someone finally tapped me hard on the shoulder...I was apparently a very funny site...judging by their laughter to the point of tears....... By 4 p.m. I'd met my writing deadline, but I was getting worried..I know....the day wasn't over..that's what my friend, Irene told me, noting the Boston-flirt had said my birthday would be a day of surprises. So just then...out of the corner of my eye I noticed a delivery man walk in ...I hung up with Irene... I discreetly watched the receptionist point at me...saw him then point to me too... He had a questioning look...So I called out to him across the newsroom...."Oh, great! Over here!" "Oh, thanks!" he said nicely. The receptionist smiled at me. He walked across the room carrying something VERY beautiful ... .a stunning, unique crystal vase with a gigantic bouquet of incredible flowers. The Boston-flirt apparently knew exactly what would make my heart sing. "How beautiful!" I gushed. "They really are especially nice...different..elegant..." the delivery guy agreed. "Well, it's my birthday!" I explained, taking the stunning crystal vase from him. "Really? Oh! Well then..... Happy Birthday, Jean," he said. "Jean?" "Yeah. Happy Birthday, Jean." "But I'm Chris." Looking at the card he said...."But these are for Jean." "I'm Jean," said a quiet voice behind me. "Oh, Happy Birthday, Jean," he said to her and walked to her, right behind me. "Jean? Jean? Jean, you got flowers for my birthday..." I said in an attempt at humor, on behalf of the entire newsroom now wincing for me...as I still stood at my desk kind-of amazed at what I had just done. Then Jean said, "My boyfriend sent me flowers for no reason today." "O man...o man...o man...just shoot me, Irene! I moaned to my friend Irene the next day..the day after my birthday..... "Why did I have to STAND UP...and cry out loud.."Oh, those flowers MUST be for me...O it's my birthday! Just shoot me...Why was I telling the guy o how beautiful and o it's my birthday...?" Irene, being my friend, was of course laughing the entire time I was saying all this. "Why did I have to be so dumb???" More laughter. It kept coming in spurts. She knew she should tone the laughter down a bit, but she just couldn't. But I was laughing too..I can still laugh about it...But I still feel incredibly foolish...even as I can see it's funny....... "Oh, Chris, everyone has moments they look like a fool," she said still laughing. "Irene?" "Yes?" "How tall is the George Washington Bridge?" "Why?" she says laughing. "Just wondering...Oh, and Irene?" "Yes?" "Are you done laughing now?" More laughter. "Now I have to break up with him." "You're going to break up?" "Sure. The Rules says I have to." "You believe in The Rules?" "Nope." Laughter. "So what does the Rules say?" "If a guy doesn't get you anything..or if he gets you something like...an apron...something not romantic...you have to break up with him." "And you believe that?" "No. I don't know..maybe." "Chris...if I broke up with every guy who didn't get me anything on my birthday, I would never have had a boyfriend. Even when I was married...he'd say to me...so what d'ya want? wanna toaster?" We both laugh. "Yeah, well." "Chris, guys have no idea how meaningful it feels to a woman to get something on her birthday. They have no idea how significant it is to a woman. If they knew..things would be different...but they don't know....So you are going to break up with a man for something he really doesn't understand? Something most men don't understand?" "Yeah, well...pretty much," I laugh. "I don't know. Surely kissing a man passionately a few days ago and then his saying yesterday, essentially o by the way, happy birthday and have a nice day..is a little ..a little... a little....odd... no?" "Don't judge him by that. The only guy who ever got me something wonderful on my birthday turned out to be crazy...so....normal guys don't seem to get you anything...they need to be told but nobody tells them apparently..." Irene told me something interesting...but I was getting a beep in from another call...I answered the phone and guess who it was?... I so want to tell you... But I am in the newsroom and need to get back to work. Tell ya tomorrow. ------------ About the author: Chrissa Falcon is a newspaper reporter in the New York Metropolitan Area. Chrissa may be reached at ChrisFalconColumn@hotmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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