It was a year ago today that I was
on my way to Coachella to see Paul McCartney
(Front
and Center!) when I got the
call that my cousin Elsa was born that day. My Uncle
Tim and I grew up more like brothers, so it was a
special moment thinking of the scene back home with
his wife, Eileen. It occurred to me rather as I hung
up the phone that I had never thought about this when
I made the first "Lila Birthday song" (their first
child) the year before - carrying on the "Kenny
Birthday song" tradition. Can't play favorites here.
However, I didn't want to do the same thing. With
Lila, I tried to "parody" her name into different
songs as opposed to Kenny where I just sang Happy
Birthday, so what would I do for Elsa?
And then, on the day of her birth,
Paul McCartney sang "birthday". Though I was trying
desperately to save my one hour of recording time, I
grabbed 30 seconds, and never uploaded it until today.
:) In a decade or so, she may think this is
cool:
Gotta be cool to think that was
the day of your birth. There's a picture of my dad
playing music the night I was born that I have always
gazed at growing up with wonder. Duh, this is the
internet. Here it is:
It blows my ever-lovin'
mind that I am 10 years older than him in
that picture.
Wow. Oh wow. That's a stat
I really didn't need to type. Do our parents
just, always look older than us? No matter
what? That picture makes me feel like I'm 5,
so it's just ingrained in my head that he's
20 years older than me. And now I'm 10 years
older than him? Fuck photography man. What
has photography done to our species? This
coming from a guy who videotapes his entire
life. (sigh)
So with this birthday, I thought
I'd try each year to find some little slice of life
that's happening in the world on that day. By itself
it may be abstract, but in 17 years it will make for a
cool few moments. Tim & Eileen need to stop
at 2 however. :)
It of course goes without saying,
I would love to be home on days like this. I love
kids, and abhor being a stranger to parts of my family
when I visit. It is the one sacrifice that adds weight
to my shoulders that feels too selfish. You can't get
this time back. And you look in the mirror and
oftentimes ask: "Why are you doing this?". I have to
remember that the answer is nearly sub-conscious: at
this point? It isn't just in me, it is me. I am this
fight, I am this struggle - and until I find peace
with it? I'm not much good in any other capacity.
So Happy Birthday Elsa, your
first. It's all downhill now. Ha.
