Birthdays are memorable because they are special. Everyone ... well, almost everyone, celebrates and remembers the day they were born. Family and friends celebrate you for being you.
We remember birthdays mostly because of the number or milestones we hit. We remember what we did, who we were with, and where we celebrated. Some milestones are memorable and some are not. My 21st birthday was spent with a supervisor from work and a pitcher of beer at a bar in New Brunswick. I always thought 21 was a huge deal but it wasn't. I think turning 13 was more impactful. A cousin of mine told me, "Hey, look at it this way, now you are officially a teenager!"
My wife Barbara surprised me once for my 40th birthday. We entered a restaurant in Inwood (Upper Manhattan) and as I looked at the crowd I saw my principal and my mentor sitting there. They stood out among all the people and I said, "What are you two doing here?" They replied, "It's your birthday, silly!" I was really surprised and grateful for them to be with me on my special day.
One birthday is most memorable: when I turned nine years old. I spent it at the movies with my best friends at the time: Aaron, Victor, his brother Manny, my cousin Gabe and lastly, my father. After a bad divorce that I did not understand, my father was present but not living at home. Yet, he promised to take me to the movies. It was going to be the best birthday ever.
I remember going to every one of my friend's homes and speaking with their parents. In my broken Spanish, I asked and got permission for my friends to join me at the movies.
It was February 12, 1978, Close Encounters of the Third Kind had been out for three months. Even though I had already seen the film, it seemed like a good idea to watch it again. As we entered the theater I noticed that Saturday Night Fever was also showing and that I had made a poor choice. My heart raced and the wheels in my head started turning.
At the time, John Travolta was king and disco ruled in my part of the world. SNF was a huge hit and the soundtrack was heard on all the radio stations, house parties, discos, and yes, even at school.
During free time, a group of us would plead with our teacher to allow us to play the album and "hustle" or partner dance, disco style. We needed no lights or deejay, only the super sounds that came out of an old school record player. We made our own dance party. Dancing was always a part of my birthdays and it was going to play a huge role in my ninth birthday.
At the movies, I remember getting up to go to the bathroom and sneaking into the adjacent theater to catch glimpses of Travolta's Tony Manero. Walking into the theater during a disco scene made me feel as if I was in a discotheque. My friend Aaron and I started moving our hips and arms. We looked at one another and smiled. We were happy. It was becoming one of the best birthdays ever.
Suddenly, I saw my cousin Gabe with Victor's younger brother enter the theater.
"Where were you guys?" asked Gabe.
"We snuck in here to dance!" said Aaron.
"Where is my father?" I asked.
"He's back watching the other movie with Victor," said Manny.
"We better head back before we get caught," I replied.
Then we ran out of one theater into the other. As I sat down my father looked at me and didn't say a word. He was calm but he knew I was up to something. We told my friend Victor and he said he wanted to see SNF. I couldn't say no so I hatched a plan: I would tell my father that Victor had to go to the bathroom and since he didn't know where it was located, I would escort him. He said fine and we dashed off.
This time I decided to sit in the front row. Victor and I saw the scene where Tony and Stephanie dance in the club. Then we lost track of time. We couldn't move. We were hypnotized. After like 20 minutes had passed, I saw Aaron, Gabe and Manny walk in with my father. My heart sank and I grew nervous. I thought I was in big trouble.
"Where were you?" asked my father.
"I am sorry Papi. We came in here to watch this movie," I said.
I stood up and my cousin Gabe gave me my coat and Victor put his on. Close Encounters had finished, the SNF credits rolled on the screen and my birthday was quickly coming to an end. Then, my father asked me, "What are you doing?"
"I am putting my coat on. We are leaving."
"Sit down and watch the movie," replied my father.
My friends and I were surprised. My father wanted to stay and watch Saturday Night Fever. The emotions I felt at the time were the same as when everyone sings the "Happy Birthday" song. It was the best birthday I experienced.
Birthdays are special because the people who love you celebrate you. They are also special because you get to do something memorable with those people who are most important to you. As I look back 39 years, I see my ninth birthday as most special because I was surrounded by people who loved me. At the time, my family was going through some serious challenges and I guess my father didn't want to let me down. He did the best he could and I realize that now.
Thank you Aaron, Victor, Manny, and Gabe for making my ninth birthday special. You made it special because you are special.
Thank you Papi for making my ninth birthday special. I will always remember that special feeling of being loved, watching Saturday Night Fever, and dancing in the movie theater.
"You should be dancing,
yeah!"
"Dancing, yeah!"
