Well, this is my birthday, isn’t it?

Sometimes, even birthdays, become enmeshed in politics!  I was reminded of this when I asked a colleague to not broadcast my day on the company intranet.  She replied, “But, everyone will think we don’t care about you!” Yes, birthdays are more political than they should be! Consider this:

Big cakes and little cakes! At work, I’ve seen beautiful, elaborately decorated cakes for some, and last-minute, generic Walmart cakes for others.  Why the difference?  Well, one person, a manager or key employee is highly-regarded and/or popular, and the other colleague isn’t! Some employees are offered “group cakes” for multiple birthdays in one month or quarter.  One clerical manager explained we’d have a cake every week otherwise! Have you ever wondered what your birthday treat says about your place in the office?

Have you experienced a birthday-themed marketing campaign? Instead of wishing us well, we hear from political campaigns and non-profits requesting donations in honor of other people or causes!  I must admit, this personal appeal is most annoying to me. Wouldn’t you be annoyed if anyone told you what you should get them for their BD?  Family and friends are okay, but a grinning politician? 

People can be amazingly insensitive!  With so much attention focused on Diversity & Inclusion at work, I’m not sure how “Over the Hill!” party themes would work today, but this was the norm in some offices. I also recall a manager confiding in me how much she wanted to include an employee who doesn’t celebrate holidays and birthdays.  She wanted a close and supportive team!  So, I asked if she ever considered just respecting the employee and her wishes?  My question was met with stony silence.

So, here I am with another birthday at work!  I used to take a day or week off to avoid the attention, then my determined manager planned my “surprise” before or after vacation!  So, how difficult could it be to celebrate and eat cake?  Honestly, I don’t want to be anti-social or politically incorrect, but I prefer my birthday to be mine!  I’d love to keep other people and their agendas out of my cake business!  And before I forget,

Happy Birthday all “First-Quarter Babies!”