Birthday Party

It was my birthday last week.

Last year, I’d gone out with my pals and the year before that I’d been to a gig and so I decided that, partly due to a bout of ill health but mostly due to my newly acquired old age, I’d have a quiet one this year. My family and I headed out to a local restaurant (although ‘skate’ may be more appropriate: the pavements were like sheet ice) where we had a decidedly mediocre meal before purchasing envelopes for my brother and undertaking the trek back home before thankfully being rescued by a taxi. The day was so average, I kept forgetting that it actually was my birthday.

But that was before I logged onto Xbox Live that evening.

While I was arsing about on Facebook, Celeste popped up on chat, simply saying, ‘Blops?’ With that, I slapped my Xbox 360 on, expecting the usual night of game playage.

However, within minutes of joining the party, a whole slew of people jumped in shortly after my arrival. It was like a surprise birthday party, apart from the fact that the large majority of the guests had turned up late. In fact, so many people joined us that we had to switch to game chat to accommodate everybody wanting to play.

That night was filled with all kinds of shenanigans, be it celebrating joyously over attaining a high killstreak, raging at being constantly spawnkilled by campers, promising people slices of my Colin the Caterpillar birthday cake, playing the ‘Guess What Kind of Crisps I’m Eating Game’ (Chilli Heatwave Doritos, if you’re wondering) and generally rambling shite.

This unexpected, spontaneous act of kinship and friendship transformed an average, uneventful birthday into something much more fun, affecting and touching than I could ever have imagined. Thank you.

Can my 21st be any better? Let’s see. Everybody’s invited. Bring some Doritos.