Birthdays and Social Media

Posted by: on Jan 30, 2014 | 2 Comments

Yesterday was my birthday. At 54, I choose to do my best to treat my birthday pretty much like every other day. My birthday celebration consisted of normal day at work, an hour at the gym followed by wings, pizza and beer at The Landmark Tavern with Linda. To top it off, I watched my favorite basketball team win another game. After the game, well you can use your imagination. Was a good day.

If you look at my facebook profile, my birthday is not listed. I like to keep it private, sort of a social media experiment. I know that someone is going to out me by wishing me a happy birthday.  I just like to see who it is and than watch the chain reaction.

Sure enough, yesterday afternoon around 2:50, the big event went public thanks to  a facebook post by non-other than Allie Berkowitz.  Yes, I was outed by my own child. About 2 minutes later, my phone starts buzzing as the good news had spread to twitter thanks to the master of all things Orange in Social Media, the loverly Kim Brown (a.k.a. @kimincuse).  The well wishers from near and far came out in force. New new friends, some not so new friends, old friends and digital friends, proving that you really can’t keep a secret for too long in today’s instant information world.

Actually, my birthday celebration this year is going to be very special, if a couple of days after the actual date of my birth. The aforementioned Allie is hours away from hoping on a red-eye from LA to Newark. Linda and I will pick her up in the morning, pick-up her little sister from TriDelt along the way, and head north to the frozen tundra that is Syracuse, which means my family will be together for the weekend (at least the part where Allie and Zach aren’t sleeping). Dinner tomorrow at Phoebe’s with my friend of 40+ years Caryl Shapiro (it’s a whole Great Neck, Syracuse thing) and her family. Saturday will be a day with friends, Middle Ages and Dinosaurs. The big game Saturday where I will be one of 35,000+ in The Dome to witness the historic SU v Duke basketball game. Throw in some drinks at Faegen’s, maybe a slice at the Varsity, possibly a THB and you’ve got one hell of a birthday weekend.

And with all weekends at SU, my body maybe 54 years old but will feel 35 years younger. At least until Monday morning when I wake up and my first thought will be “what the hell was I thinking?”

2 Comments

  1. Eve
    January 30, 2014

    Happy Birthday Ira – it sounds like it gonna be one hellofa good weekend! Enjoy!

  2. Nathan Slovin
    January 31, 2014

    Love it Ira. Enjoy the weekend… sounds perfect. You deserve this old man.