Polaroid Photo

Fri
8
Feb '08

Today is my birthday

I am thirty-nine years old today.

For some reason, women are supposed to be shy about their age. This has never made sense to me. I mean, it used to make social sense to mask one’s age to lengthen the amount of time one was eligible for marriage. But, hello, we are not Victorian anymore.

I am thirty-nine years old and proud of every year. Besides, Grandma is 103, so I’m just a child.

Tags: ,

Related posts

49 Comments

  1. Patrick Swenson Patrick Swenson on 08.02.2008 at 02:39 (Reply)

    Happy Day!!

    And I’m sure, another 70 years in the tank at least. :)

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:16 (Reply)

      I’m counting on it. I’ve got a lot of stories to write and not enough time to do it.

  2. Charles Charles on 08.02.2008 at 02:47 (Reply)

    Happy birthday!

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:35 (Reply)

      Many thanks!

  3. Erin Erin on 08.02.2008 at 03:41 (Reply)

    It’s my bday too!

    No wonder we’re both so dang cool! ;)

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:17 (Reply)

      This explains so many things!

  4. David de Beer David de Beer on 08.02.2008 at 04:16 (Reply)

    Happy birthday, Mary:)

  5. Sean Markey Sean Markey on 08.02.2008 at 04:38 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday, Mary!
    39. Right on. May you have many more puppet-string pulling, story writing, happily married, art directing, dirty martini drinking years!
    Cheers!
    :)

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:36 (Reply)

      Woot! Now, that’s a good birthday wish, if I’ve ever heard one.

  6. RFLong RFLong on 08.02.2008 at 05:07 (Reply)

    The happiest of brithdays to you, Mary!

    Breithlá shona duit.
    Tá onóir ag an aois agus uaisle ag an óige. (Age has honour and youth has nobility.)

    R

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:40 (Reply)

      Thank you! It would be nice to move into the honor stage of life.

  7. Frank Wu Frank Wu on 08.02.2008 at 05:07 (Reply)

    Yeah!!!! Happy birthday! Here’s to another wonderfully productive year! OK, enough celebrating. Now get back to work making cool stuff.

  8. Chris Billett Chris Billett on 08.02.2008 at 07:40 (Reply)

    Oh, I just wrote on your Facebook wall after seeing your status, but happy birthday for here, too! You have a good way of looking at age. It’s all about what you’ve done with your years, not how many of them you’ve had. Besides, as I said on Facebook, I had always guess purely on how young you look that you were nearer thirty. Obviously eating the right vegetables!

  9. Nancy Fulda Nancy Fulda on 08.02.2008 at 07:40 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday!

  10. S.H. Segal S.H. Segal on 08.02.2008 at 07:41 (Reply)

    At the risk of sounding excessively like Fred Rogers, I nonetheless feel comfortable saying that you are one of my favorite 39-year-olds. Enjoy the day and the year!

  11. Melissa Mead Melissa Mead on 08.02.2008 at 07:51 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday!

  12. Joe Sherry Joe Sherry on 08.02.2008 at 08:20 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday!!

  13. Nayad Monroe Nayad Monroe on 08.02.2008 at 09:01 (Reply)

    Happy birthday! I always say that if I were going to lie about my age, I’d claim to be older, so as to get more respect and have everyone think that I looked fabulous. But I don’t. I’m 36. :)

    Have a great day!

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:24 (Reply)

      See! That’s how I feel too.

      I’m the only girl I know who can’t wait to get gray hair. I actually have the hairdresser use temporary color on my hair because it won’t affect the few white hairs I’m getting.

  14. Kate Baker Kate Baker on 08.02.2008 at 09:11 (Reply)

    Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam.
    Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam.
    Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz, niech zyje, zyje nam.
    Niech zyje nam!

  15. Steve Steve on 08.02.2008 at 09:28 (Reply)

    Happy birthday. :-)

    You’re only as old as you think you are.

  16. Amal Amal on 08.02.2008 at 09:30 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday! Sanna hilwa, ya gameel!

  17. Rob Kimbro Rob Kimbro on 08.02.2008 at 09:34 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday, Mary!!

  18. Evan Nichols Evan Nichols on 08.02.2008 at 09:45 (Reply)

    Many Happy Returns of the Day!

  19. Chang Chang on 08.02.2008 at 09:50 (Reply)

    HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!! HAPPY!!!
    BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!! BIRTHDAY!!!

  20. Craig Craig on 08.02.2008 at 09:54 (Reply)

    Wait till you hit 40. It’s the new 30! Happy Birthday!

  21. Kai Jones Kai Jones on 08.02.2008 at 10:34 (Reply)

    Many happy returns of the day!

    I’m not a bit shy about my age, either.

  22. christie christie on 08.02.2008 at 10:48 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday! I’m 39 this year too, wooo!

  23. Gigi Gigi on 08.02.2008 at 10:50 (Reply)

    I hope you have a wonderful day :)

  24. Eric James Stone Eric James Stone on 08.02.2008 at 10:51 (Reply)

    Many happy returns of the day!

  25. -d- -d- on 08.02.2008 at 10:51 (Reply)

    Congratulations on reaching your 1st annual 39th birthday.
    This year in September I will celebrate my 32nd annual 39th birthday.

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:34 (Reply)

      Thanks, Dad!

      I’m looking forward to being forty next year, so I can throw a ginormous party.

  26. -e- -e- on 08.02.2008 at 12:10 (Reply)

    Oh, how can I possibly follow the wit and wisdom of -d- ?

    A simple Happy Birthday wish will have to suffice
    xo-e-

  27. Julia Julia on 08.02.2008 at 12:15 (Reply)

    Happy birthday!!!!!!!!! May you spend the day doing exactly what you want, eating your favourite foods, and getting great presents.

  28. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 08.02.2008 at 12:50 (Reply)

    Thank you all! So far today is going splendidly.

  29. Fabulous Girl Fabulous Girl on 08.02.2008 at 14:54 (Reply)

    What they said!

  30. Michael Livingston Michael Livingston on 08.02.2008 at 17:48 (Reply)

    Happy birthday, Mary.

    May today you turn on lily pads,
    dancing on isles of green.
    May today you skip on white-columned clouds,
    singing songs only gods can hear.

  31. Aliette de Bodard Aliette de Bodard on 08.02.2008 at 17:49 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday Mary!!

  32. PBI PBI on 08.02.2008 at 18:02 (Reply)

    This age stuff is all relative. Eh? Your grandma and the way she is trekking at 103 makes me want to grow up just like her.

    A vital, energetic 91 year old friend of ours says he would like to be a young man of 70 again, so I am basking in my 68 year ould youth. :0)

    Happy birthday, Mary! Obviously we all think you are a very special lady and wish you the best of everything!

    I’ll be checking in regularly to see what interesting new projects and fascinating ideas you have in store for us during your 39th year.

    Aloha and Hau`oli la hanau!

    Patty

  33. David Loftus David Loftus on 08.02.2008 at 18:22 (Reply)

    Wow, same age as Jack Benny now!

    It’s easy sledding from here on out.

    (Dang, I just missed making the 39th post on this thread. . . .)

  34. momk momk on 08.02.2008 at 18:27 (Reply)

    Too bad I can’t do the math to calculate -d-’s annual 32nd 39th.
    No matter, kudos and thanks to -d- and Lady -m- on this
    Mary’s birthday for producing such a treasure as Mary Robinette.

  35. Dario Dario on 08.02.2008 at 18:56 (Reply)

    Hi Mary!

    Some instinct sent me to your website today for the first time in a long while, and I’m glad it did: Happy Birthday, Mary!!

    The best years are ahead :-)

    Dario

  36. Michele Lee Michele Lee on 08.02.2008 at 19:49 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday!!! *does the Muppet wave* Yayyyyy!

  37. Jens_fire Jens_fire on 08.02.2008 at 20:03 (Reply)

    And once more with feeling…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

  38. -d- -d- on 08.02.2008 at 20:16 (Reply)

    momk, you’re right, it isn’t just a matter of adding 32 and 39.

  39. Suzanne Suzanne on 08.02.2008 at 20:29 (Reply)

    Happy Birthday!

  40. -m- -m- on 09.02.2008 at 00:12 (Reply)

    Dearest Mary,
    Happy 39th Birthday! You are a joy to us!
    Love,
    Mom and Dad

  41. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 09.02.2008 at 03:06 (Reply)

    Today was really lovely. Thank you all for helping make it so.

  42. chris hansen chris hansen on 09.02.2008 at 11:01 (Reply)

    Sorry to be so late to the comment party!

    I hope your day was wonderful and that it heralds even more joy and success for you and your dude. my best wishes for you always.

Leave a comment

Comments are held for moderation if you are a first time commentor or if the comment contains more than two links.