24

“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.” ~Larry Lorenzon

When I was eight, before the world was dominated by Bushs and Clintons, I made this timeline of every event in my life from my high school graduation to when I would get married and start having children. 24 was apparently the age that my eight year old mind thought would be a good time to start in on the whole marriage and parenting one-two punch. Normally I’d say that my eight year old self was high, but instead I will say Aww. Because eight year olds are cute and wistful and think that 24 is ‘old’. Eight year olds have yet to become cynical and pessimisstic. They are wonderfully optimistic most of the time and one must admit that it can be adorable.

Today is my 24th birthday and I am a tad more pragmatic and would like to set my goals a little lower. All I really want is to have a good year. There are also more personal things like the ability to eat a burrito without analyzing every bite and calming the fuck down because some things won’t ever change. But other than that it’s all very simple and the rest written down and tucked away for a rainy day. I think that if I told my eight year old self that having a baby at 24 really wouldn’t bode well for her career (never mind what she would do if I told her that she would have enough money to fill her closet with shoes, because she HATED shopping with a passion) or for her relationship with her roommate, but at 24 there could be as many cupcakes as she wanted because her mother won’t be around to say No; then she would totally be down with that. So I think I’ll shuffle things around and save those major life events for another year.

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48 Comments

  1. Posted October 26, 2007 at 5:35 am | Permalink

    I am so proud of you. My goal at 13 was not to have sex until I was 25 and get married at 30. I got married at 21 and my darling son was born when I was 23. You are so much stronger than me. I’m jealous, too.

  2. Posted October 26, 2007 at 5:49 am | Permalink

    I once actually thought that I’d be dead by 30, because Sweet Jesus, 30 is OLD! Thankfully, that didn’t come true.

    Happy birthday, old lady! I hope it’s a great year for you.

  3. Posted October 26, 2007 at 6:52 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!!!

  4. Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:24 am | Permalink

    HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY!!!

    MAY THE NEXT 24 BE WONDERFUL – FULL OF ONLY LOVE, JOY AND HAPPINESS!!!

  5. jomama
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:28 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!!

  6. Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:42 am | Permalink

    Have the most fabulous 24th birthday ever!!! At 24 I moved away from home to the “great state” of Mississippi. You can’t do as badly as that! LOL

  7. Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    Delurking to say Happy Birthday!!! I hope you have a great day…and I’m sure it will be a birthday weekend not just one day!!! Have a great one!

  8. Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:57 am | Permalink

    De-lurking to say Happy Birthday!
    Enjoy where you are in life, it’s a great time!

  9. Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:58 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday, Heather B!!

    Dooode, 24. Twenty-four is good. Still young enough to be footloose and fancy free, but old enough to Know Better and grow into yourself and embrace all that you are and not care so much about what people think. Le sigh. I wish I had been even half as self-possessed as you are when I was 24.

    Today is definitely the day to have as many cupcakes as you want.

  10. Posted October 26, 2007 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!

  11. Posted October 26, 2007 at 9:33 am | Permalink

    A birthday on a Friday!? Awesome! Hope it’s a great one…

  12. Posted October 26, 2007 at 9:55 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!

  13. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:04 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday! And here’s to all the cupcakes one deserves on their day. (Which is A LOT.)

    Maybe I’ll stop by Sprinkles and have one on your behalf.

  14. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:15 am | Permalink

    Happiest of birthdays to you!

    24 was one of my most favorite years (so far anyway) I hope that it is for you too.

  15. Erika
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:16 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!! Have a good time today.

  16. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:21 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!

  17. Lori
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:24 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!

  18. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:34 am | Permalink

    Wow, 24 seems like a lifetime ago for me!

    But I’m sure it will be the best year yet for you! Happy Birthday!

    (When I saw the title of this post, I immediately thought it was about the TV show on Fox. But your birthday is a far better topic!)

  19. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:35 am | Permalink

    Happy, happy birthday!! Now I want a cupcake. :-)

    I hope you have a wonderful, fabulous year. And that you put Philadelphia on your travel schedule.

  20. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:37 am | Permalink

    Happiest of birthdays to you, beautiful woman. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who daydreams about talking to my younger self.

  21. Posted October 26, 2007 at 11:25 am | Permalink

    happy birthday heather!!

  22. Posted October 26, 2007 at 12:15 pm | Permalink

    happy 24th and may you have a specatular year!

    PS – you are the third person i know whose birthday is today!

  23. lindsayc
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 12:32 pm | Permalink

    Happy Birthday. If memory serves, 24 was a great year to enjoy, old enough but yet not too old yet. BTW, I’m 34 so perhaps my memory has faded!

  24. Posted October 26, 2007 at 1:08 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday Heather!
    I wish I had had the great idea of just “having a good year” at 24 but I wasn’t pragmatic enough at that time, good for you that you are already!

  25. Posted October 26, 2007 at 1:13 pm | Permalink

    Happy Birthday to a wonderful person!

  26. Posted October 26, 2007 at 2:26 pm | Permalink

    Happy happy birthday!!

  27. Posted October 26, 2007 at 2:33 pm | Permalink

    Have a superb day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

    (PS – You’re still a baby ;) )

  28. Posted October 26, 2007 at 2:46 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday, sweet thing!

  29. Posted October 26, 2007 at 3:26 pm | Permalink

    HB, HB!

    Hooooo boy. I kill myself.

  30. Posted October 26, 2007 at 3:34 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday to the fabulous Heather B! I hope that you have a terrific year, starting with as many cupcakes as you can handle.

  31. Posted October 26, 2007 at 3:54 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday! Here’s to a very terrific year for you!

  32. Posted October 26, 2007 at 5:39 pm | Permalink

    You all are so very kind. Thank you a million times over. And now, WE DRINK! or at least have a burrito and one beer.

  33. Posted October 26, 2007 at 6:52 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday, sweetie! YAY!! Enjoy your birthday burrito & cupcakes — sounds perfect to me!

  34. Posted October 26, 2007 at 7:00 pm | Permalink

    Happy Birthday! Have a drink. Pamper yourself a little. Enjoy. Twenty four is a good year. Really.

  35. Posted October 26, 2007 at 7:23 pm | Permalink

    Happy Birthday Heather!!!!

  36. kat
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 7:50 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday! Be sure to get your giant margarita (if i assume you’re at the burrito place i’m thinking of)!

  37. Posted October 26, 2007 at 8:39 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday! I think you should plan a big trip for your 25th.

  38. Posted October 26, 2007 at 9:40 pm | Permalink

    Sadly, my 25th is right before an election. So the big trip is planned for a week or so from now. Wheeee!

    Actually why am I saying ‘sadly’? I mean Thank God, there will be an election right after my 25th.

  39. Posted October 26, 2007 at 10:56 pm | Permalink

    HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! XO

  40. Posted October 26, 2007 at 11:48 pm | Permalink

    Happy birthday, pal.

    Here’s to non-analytical burrito enjoyment!

  41. Posted October 27, 2007 at 1:07 am | Permalink

    This post reminded me of how my older brothers asked me when I was 4 years old how many kids I wanted to have when I grew up, and I said, “24.”

    Thank goodness some goals change. Haha.

    Happy Birthday!

  42. Posted October 27, 2007 at 5:15 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!

  43. Posted October 27, 2007 at 8:20 am | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!

    I wish I could share a story about when I turned 24 but I think that was the year I discovered Jager…

  44. Posted October 27, 2007 at 2:27 pm | Permalink

    Happy Birthday!!!! I’m almost 24, I actually can’t wait! 23 sucked and 24 looks like it’s going to be a good year. For one, I’ll be going into it at least 30 lbs lighter!

  45. Posted October 27, 2007 at 4:57 pm | Permalink

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
    (yesterday ;)

  46. Kelly
    Posted October 29, 2007 at 1:23 pm | Permalink

    Happy Birthday, you young thing, you! (I turned 40 yesterday – bahh!)

  47. Posted October 29, 2007 at 3:27 pm | Permalink

    I’m impressed that as an 8 year old you made a timeline! i was playing barbies! Happy late B-day. I lurk your blog everyday. I love it.

  48. Posted October 31, 2007 at 11:48 pm | Permalink

    Well, hey, I missed it. But Happy Belated Birthday!

    (Also? I had a kid when I was three months shy of 25. My daughter is now 12 going on 30. Just FYI and tempus fugit.)

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