Days and events

My birth date is known to very few as I don't like to tell it to everyone. I always try to somehow get around the discussion whenever the topic comes up. I don't know why but I don't like everyone to know about it and wish me.

There are some who do know about it as I have told them. However, in such cases I expect them to wish me. I agree that everybody might not remember or be able to wish. But it is as if, I want a kind of return for the fact that they know the date.

One thing I have lately realized more and more that what personally you like, is many a times a generic wish of many. So, I think that many people would like to be wished by a large number of people on their birthdays. I try to make it a point that if I know someone even a bit, I wish him / her on his / her birthday. Also, I try to send them a personal message to their inbox rather than just adding my wishes at a location where there might be others wishing them.

What I have started doing is to start exchanging places with them and see what kind of things, if occured would have made me happy in this situation. I would definitely have liked many personal messages from the people who know my birth date. And therefore I do the same when others are on the receiving end.

This thing should not be just left at wishing and also not left at just the birthdays.

For any event which I think is important for the other person, I try to put myself in their shoes and see what I would have liked. So, if somebody has won a competition or had some scheduled event on a day, does it hurt to wish them or ask them how it went?

I remember one day a couple of months back. I had to go to some other city for a scholarship interview and come back. Almost the whole day was spent in waiting and travelling. Me and 2 others started early in the morning and reached back home late at night. I wanted to tell someone about what all had happened. More than that, I wanted someone to ask me how was the day and how did the interview go? It was late in the night, else might have called my family (in some other city) and would have told them.

I came back to my hostel / dorm room and most of my dorm mates had either slept or they were there in their rooms and might not have realized that I was back. I went online and thought that at least some people would see me online and would know that I am back and would ask me, but none. I know that I could have gone myself and talked and people would have heard me out. But somehow my ego (or whatever you might say) would have been satisfied had somebody asked me before I told them. In the end, nobody did ask me on their own.

I thought that there would be many who might feel this way many a times. Can I not try to ask some of them about their day when I know that something important is scheduled for that day for these people? I know that many would not expect anyone to ask them as much as I did (and sometimes still do but am trying to be more practical). But I think that at least I owe it to myself to ask them. And I don't do it just for a formality or for the sake of doing it. I actually want to know what happened and how they feel about it. And if anything else they want to tell me.

Also, why should it stop at particular events which are so apparent? Why not see the efforts behind things which get overlooked so easily? So, if someone participates in an event, the day of the event is very important for him / her. But what about those people who had worked so hard before the event and who might not be directly visible at the event. But without whom the event would not have been possible. Don't they feel the need to be spoken to and congratulated on making things happen?

This post is my attempt to try and remember myself what all I have said here. Though I have started doing these things, I know that those are too far and few between as of now. And that there are many who get overlooked. But definitely I would try to improve.