Neurotic "Dilemma"

I have a thing about birthdays. Well, my birthday. And it's not an age thing. It's just... I'm always flummoxed by how to address it with other people. What I'm talking about here is the date of my birth.

If I mention it in advance - Hey, my birthday's this Friday - I always feel like a bit of an ass, like I'm waving a flag for presents and well-wishes. However, when I don't say anything, invariably it comes up in some strange circumstance - Friend 1: How was your birthday last Friday?; Friend 2 (standing nearby): It was your birthday last Friday? - and I'm left feeling like I was intentionally concealing it, possibly with the intent of making Friend 2 feel bad after the fact.

I have no real solution to this neurotic "dilemma". I suppose the truly childish take on it would be, "Everyone should just know." But that's bullshit. As if I know the birthdates of all my friends and family. My mom's one of those people who writes all the important birthdays on a calendar every January. She copies the information - which includes how old each person will be - from the previous year's calendar so that she always has this information.

Maybe that's what can grow out of this post. At least I can come away with having a better record of the birthdates of friends and family. After reading this, please post a reply with your birthdate. You don't have to include the year if you're squeamish about such details.

Oh, and the picture.... I was doing some research yesterday and stumbled on the fact that the episode City on the Edge of Forever originally aired on April 6, 1967. That makes today it's fortieth anniversary. Pfft! I'm younger than that!