November 22nd
Today is my mom's birthday. Thought it might be fun to look at the date in history.
I already knew that on her Sweet Sixteenth birthday, President Kennedy was assassinated, and C. S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley both died, taking Camelot, Narnia, and Brave New Worlds with them. That must have been fun. This might have been tempered somewhat with the other historical fact I already knew about her birthday: the White Album came out on her 21st birthday, when she might also have just voted in her first Presidential election. But she was never the Beatles fan I'd hoped she'd grow up to be, and I have no idea if she voted in 1968.
So I hopped over to Wikipedia to see if there was more. I learned that before she was born Blackbeard the pirate was killed on this day, and the tomb of Tutankhamen discovered. The Concorde started its runs between New York and London on this day in 1977, and Margaret Thatcher resigned in 1990, but somehow I don't think those have any resonance for her either.
I moved on to the births. Maybe someone shares her birthday. Turns out that Bach, deGaulle, George Eliot and Hoagy Carmichael all celebrated Nov. 22 as their natal day, as did French explorer LaSalle (of the bank and street here in Chicago) and Rodney Dangerfield. As for people who still remain on earth, she can blow out her candles alongside Terry Gilliam, Billie Jean King, Robert Vaughn, Tom Conti, Little Steven Van Zant, Jamie Lee Curtis, Boris Becker, the singer from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the bassist from Talking Heads. Also Scarlett Johannson, who is dreamy. But I don't know if she identifies with any of these people.
Deaths? You bet. People who checked out include Shemp from the Three Stooges, Anthony Burgess, Jack London, Mae West, Scatman Crothers, and Chris Whitley. And in 1997, INXS singer Michael Hutchence threw off the shackles of this mortal coil while attempting to enhance an orgasm via strangulation. Somehow I think she's not relating with these people either.
Her birthday does fall on Thanksgiving a lot more than most people's. I guess she'll have to settle for that. It's either that or Lebanese Independence Day.
4 comments:
Instead of worrying about my knowledge of the trivia related to my birthday, you should worry about my computer skills. I wrote a fairly lengthy comment that seems to have disappeared into "cyberspace". If it shows up...oh well.
Highlights: Yes it is my birthday. No don't much care who died because it would be hard to make a bigger headline than the assassination... except C.S. Lewis. Yes, I knew many of the names who share my day, except the "dreamy" Scarlett ...making a mental note of that one. No, I didn't vote in 1968 because back in the "Old Days" you couldn't vote until you were 21...yes I voted in 1972...no not for Nixon. Yes I liked(like) the Beatles(not a fanatic). I also liked Andy Williams, the Beach Boys, The Mitchell Trio (John Denver), the Stones and Iron Butterfly....and oh yeah, Hoagie Carmichael....not to mention Captain and Tenille(sp?), who could forget Muskrat Love. I could go on, but will restrain myself.
By the way, thanks for sharing my age with the world....And one more thing, I celebrate the Lebanese Independence Day every year ...without fail.
Bye Honey,
It's Mom.
Maht,
Your mom also shares a birthday with, yes, you guessed it, my sister JILL! In fact, if my math is correct, Jill was born on your mother's 22nd birthday, which being on the 22nd of November would make it, as some people say, your mom's GOLDEN BIRTHDAY! WOO HOOOO!!!!! Does this make you and I golden cousins or something?
Maht's mom: Hope you have a very happy birthday, dear. And thank you so much for giving us Maht, and all that comes with knowing him.
Most sincerely,
Dirk
Anon: Sorry for the mixup: I thought for a bit there that the 26th amendment was ratified in time for the 1968 elections, but nope. It was ratified on my birthday (of all things to forget) in 1971.
I didn't share your age with the world. I shared your age with anyone capable of performing simple arithmetic. There is a difference.
And, weirdly, I did a cd booklet for the Chad Mitchell Trio (including JD) in 1996 or 97. It was awful, and I asked them to take my name off of it, but so far they have not. It shows up if you google me to this day.
Dirk: I think it might be golden cousins, once removed. Not sure, though. I can't even keep track of amendments to the constitution.
Cool that your mom got the dreamy Scarlett Johannsen...I only have a balding womanizer, Jude Law.
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