I have a birthday coming up. It's on Sunday. Fast Sunday. I'm not thrilled about that because it means I can't be selfish and make my birthday all about me, Me, ME! like I usually do, but that's okay. That's why there's Saturday. Plenty of time to hog the limelight.
But this year, I don't really care about the limelight. It's not a landmark birthday (which, the whole "Congratulations" thing on birthdays cracks me up, and hopefully I'll have the time and inclination to do another entry soon on that, because all I've done is gone to bed and lived to wake up another day.); nevertheless, it is a birthday, and it is a cause for celebration. So. Dinner on Saturday. I would be fine with just my closest of friends attending, but ... now this is where it gets political.
For a landmark birthday a few years ago, my BFFs threw me the mother of all surprise parties. That was a turning point for a group of friends, my satellite friends if you will. At that time, a group of women came together who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to be friends...and all because I went to bed and woke up on a certain (birthday) morning. That occasion marked the beginning of friendships for many of those ladies. And now, I think there's an expectation that those same people (mostly) are all the same friends we were then. We're not, though, at least in my opinion, but not everyone realizes that, or some still cling to that ideal.
So some of the invites for dinner on Saturday are for some of those people. One of them is invited with the group strictly because otherwise I'd have to spend one-on-one time with her later, and I don't want that. One of my friends asked if my "boring" friend was going to be there. I said, "She's not boring, just smug and condescending." With those three fabulous adjectives, you can see why I'm less than thrilled about her possible attendance.
Another invitee is one who I have great fun with...most of the time. Compatible sense of humor, lots of laughs, and then there are times I would like to use physical violence in the form of "smack-upside-the-head-shutup-edness." But can't not invite this person because of the social repercussions if I don't.
Then another person, Person B, I want to have attend because I rarely get a chance to hang out with her, and I adore her, and she hasn't gone to any other recent social functions because she doesn't like those people enough, and she told me she'd go to my birthday dinner, but I know it's a sacrifice for her because of some of the other people who will be there. But socially? Huge win for me that she'll be there.
Unfortunately, there's someone else who I also adore who I would love to have there also, but Person B doesn't like this person, Girl C, so I can't even invite Girl C because then Person B won't even think about going.
...And it goes on like this. I would be perfectly happy with a much smaller invitee list of people who I truly enjoy being with, but have to consider all the social ramifications of who gets along with whom and who will be offended if left off, etc. See? Political. Party. Ugh. At least religion won't be a topic of concern. The one good Protestant friend I have who I would enjoy spending time with can't make it, so she won't have to be the only Protestant gosling in a world of Mormon ducks.
