The Realm
Most folks do a fair job at celebrating their birthday. Some make a big tadoo over the affair. Others don’t even bother. Here, we like to celebrate something called The Realm, short for the birthday realm. I’m not sure when it began exactly. Somewhere in my 20’s I believe. What began as an effort to squeeze a few more days of goodness out of the celebration has taken on a life of its own.
And no one is safe from it.
The Realm is an indistinct period of time surrounding one’s birthday that typically encompasses the month in question. (I have never paid witness to conflicting Realms, but can imagine no good coming from them…) During this time period, the celebrator may wield a certain degree of influence if handled with careful nuance. No one likes a tyrant, so celebration of the birthday realm is a specialized dance where timing is everything. I recommend slow expansion of the Realm until the desired length is achieved over a few years.
The nice thing is that the Realm is a flexible partner and can even be applied to other states of celebration. Why limit yourself to one day, a few hours, or a short span of significance when you could be enjoying the festivities for so much longer? Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. Do so on your terms but always with a healthy splash of concern for those you influence. Because nobody likes a dick either.
So go ahead, give it a try. Celebrate a Realm. What’s the worst that could happen?