I forgot it was my birthday
turning 38 was a lackluster event.
July 15th, 2024 was my 38th birthday. It was also the first time in my life that I did nothing to celebrate it. In fact, I had to be reminded that it was my birthday.
It’s no coincidence that the first year I forget my birthday is also the year my child was born. It makes sense to me that this would happen.
It happened to my father as well.
Every year, my mother, siblings, and I would wake up my father and surprise him with the news that he was once again getting older. I used to think he was pretending to be surprised, pretending that he had forgotten his birthday, but now I know the truth.
I guess when you become a dad, your priorities shift. That’s what they say, at least. I’m not sure if that’s totally true. I feel like the only priority that has shifted is Me with a capital M. All other priorities have more or less stayed the same. I still work a lot. I still have fun. I still see my friends. I think the only real difference is that my life is no longer about Me. I am involved, but I am not the main character anymore. I am no longer the center of my universe. My daughter is.
Will I ever celebrate my birthday again?
I hope so.
My assumption is that as I get older, and my daughter gets older, I’ll be forced to celebrate my birthday because she will wake me up on July 15th with a big smile on her face, and I’ll celebrate my birthday for her, not for me.
Notes
My friend and bandmate Tyler produced this song for vampireluvr and it just came out today. Give it a listen!
I’ve also been listening to this song a lot. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I’m feeling melancholic.
This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I’m actually really excited about Kamala Harris being President.
If you need a house cleaning service, use Maid Sailors. You can use the discount code “kareem20” for 20% off your first booking or click the link above which already has the discount on it (this is not an ad, its a recommendation!).
Episode 2 of The Last Stop comes out tomorrow, and it’s about Taylor Swift. I am preparing for war.
I went to London a few weeks ago on an assignment from a company called Air. The mission was to produce and shoot a short film in 72 hours. And we did it! It’s called Creative Differences, and you can watch it here for free if you’re interested! The trailer is below. I love working with companies like this that like to try crazy ideas and collaborate to bring big ideas to life.
Celebrating your birthday with your daughter is going to be so beautiful!
Happy birthday!!