Da Da duh Da da Dah- You Say It’s Your Birthday!

Back when I was a high school radio broadcaster-on WMTH, at Maine East in Park Ridge-the recorded show open was an edited music bed of the instrumental part of the Beatles’ “Birthday”-with a voice-over by none other than the legendary Dick Biondi introducing me (Dick was then on WCFL…)…we’d start every show with that Beatles tune kicking in…
The reason I bring it up is…because today IS my birthday. Thanks to the many viewers, friends, newspaper and radio folks who have brought that fact up. I really do appreciate the kind thoughts- and, no, quite honestly, I’m not planning on doing anything special today. You know how it is when your birthday occurs in the middle of a work week-plus, when you get to MY age...
Not that I feel that old (usually.) In my mind, I always see myself as the version of me from when I was in my late twenties- I think some of you more mature folks know what I mean. Granted, a quick look in the mirror or at the monitor when we tape out shows confirms that I’m every bit as old as I’ve become. Those strange silver hairs that seem to be multiplying every time I get a haircut tend to drive the truth home- that, and the slight…okay, more than just slight …increase in weight that has occurred since those twenty-something days.
Another thing that’s changed is my memory. I used to remember everything, and I mean everything. My mentor Jerry G. Bishop used to be amazed by how I remembered things…we were driving to work at a radio station once, and he mentioned that an old friend of his was coming to town. I recalled the name, and said that I remembered when he had previously come to town a couple years previous. Jerry smiled and asked where they had gone to dinner back then, and I said “a Greek restaurant.” Jerry laughed, and said that I was right! I used to know where every prop, every script, every research article and book that I have is- but, sadly, those days are long gone. I still have a pretty good memory, but nothing like it used to be. Some of you who have come to my appearances that I should recognize know that that’s true!…now, what was I talking about?(See what I did there? The whole memory thing? Oh, never mind…)
Anyway, thanks, everybody, for the birthday wishes-yes, we will put some candles on the rubber chicken, and I’ll make one big birthday wish…which I can’t reveal or it won’t come true. I wish you’d quit asking me what I wished for. No, wait! THAT’S not the wish! I…I…I AM getting old….