I, for one, have always loved birthdays and, unlike viewing a near-catastrophic episode of the revamped Simpsons (sorry guys, the humour no longer hits my funny bone like my brother can punch his way to my biscuit-packed stomach during a playful fight), have never had any trouble with finding numerous positives about these occasions because they are generally fun, or so I find. Of course, you may think twice about bothering to acknowledge the life-changing date of your birth whilst struggling to find anything worth celebrating for (until a purchase of Lorde's Pure Heroine came along, I had unfortunately found myself in the same frustrating situation), but by the time that your birthday has arrived in its silver candle-lit glory, don't you simply feel happy about being faced with a day which can be completely controlled by no other than yourself?
Some may struggle to comprehend this spellbinding power which typically comes into place on highly prestigious occasions - and however much a kid may beg to an inch of his or her life, anybody with a brain half the size of Einstein's would hand over permission to stick their heads in a bag of teeth-rotting sweets on Halloween or any other occasion involving such sweet delicacies, for that matter - but all of us surely gain a nicely-sized chunk of it at one point or another during our lives, most probably on birthdays when others put aside their needs and wants (so my polite self chooses to believe) to make room for those concerned to do frankly whatever they like. Although stuffing oneself with cool-as-cucumber green and flavoursome red peppers in preparation for a home-cooked stir fry may not automatically spring to mind as a chosen task on a birthday, I nonetheless gained the maximum amount of pleasure by performing the commendable job, which also enabled me to spend some time with my family and newly welcomed kittens (who, of course, gazed at me contently whilst I literally got my hands dirty by chopping some meat into cat-friendly slices). But cooking a meal wasn't all that I did on my birthday two days ago - did you honestly believe that I would forego an extended slumber in the comforting warm of my own bed to stuff myself with baby sweetcorn at nine in the eerily sunny morning?
Moving on from the topic of dedicating a birthday to oneself (giving in to one's selfish needs isn't all too bad once a year, me thinks), a day and an age seems to have passed whilst my excitement over discussing my oh-so-special birthday has grown faster than my brother's endlessly long legs - without needing to declare it to the entire world (or digital universe, come to think of it), I had a wonderful time as I grew a year older within the space of a restful night, waving a long farewell to my old age which has suddenly become as dated and uninteresting as Gangnam Style, though obviously to a less unknown state. Yeah, not a single part of myself could deny the amount of lessons I learnt and fun in which I happily immersed myself during my first few years as a teenager, but now that I feel more settled within my mind and slightly spotty skin, this new year - and new age - will signify the fresh beginnings of an aim to better myself whilst pushing my hormone-related hassles to one side. To a certain extent, I guess that this counts as a sort of birthday present because keeping control of my emotions would offer me a massive help, just like receiving a set of eyeliners which glide on perfectly and revitalize my laid-back, yet chic look to a whole new level - still, peace of mind can never be entirely contained within a wrapped box, can it?
Aside from settling into my new age like a beloved pair of shoes or dab of pores-reducing witch hazel, I have plenty to feel happy about because I got a wonderful collection of gifts, all of which couldn't possibly be compared due to their stark differences - as last year's theme mainly focused on hygiene and beauty products (a hairy epilator, any one?), I made a drastic change from following a particular sort of theme by choosing whatever caught my eye, most of which I'd forgotten about until I ripped open the beige-coloured paper on the morning itself!
Amongst the colourful set of creamy, self-sharpening eyeliners, I added yet another collection of earrings - this time in the form of various coloured pearl studs, which gleamed as brightly as a scrubbed marble floor - to my ever-expanding compilation, confirming long-hidden beliefs regarding my passion for jewellery! I broke with an unofficial tradition by getting three CDs (perhaps I have not moved into the New Age by remaining firmly in the old one with physical albums and DVDs) for the first time in several years, all of which were by three award-winning female artists. From teenage Lorde to BRIT-winning Emeli Sande to soulful Laura Mvula, I love all of these fantastic singers because they add something special to the music industry - without resorting to Miley Cyrus' twerking antics or promoting provocative messages through the all-too-influential power of performing.
Staying true to my bookworm roots (don't worry, my apple-scented scalp is absolutely worm-free!), I couldn't resist falling head over heels for a cookery book solely dedicated to cocoa, which has already given me a couple of ideas as to what I ought to produce within the oven-ready haven of the kitchen. One of the greatest things which I've learnt within the past year is sharing the joy of baking and studying from the aptly-titled Chococo book would propel me to levels of mastery skills I never knew were possible to reach - if I extend beyond the heavenly realms of truffle-making! And when I've been left utterly exhausted from baking to my heart's content, a guide to writing teen fiction is all I'll need on the path towards becoming a successful teenage author; although I purposefully avoided producing a list of New Year's Resolutions, I cannot fight the temptation to write a story aimed at my age group and strengthen my writing skills beyond what I ever believed of which I was capable.
So, a cookery book and writing guide are all very nice and useful towards my upcoming success within both sectors, but shouldn't I also be looking for something more... relaxing? No problem, a chapter of Karl's Pilkington's latest non-fiction book, The Moaning of Life (just perfect for a self-confessed moaner like myself), will get me rolling onto the rock-solid floor within no time! I loved watching the TV series several months ago, which saw Karl visit countries across the world to grasp foreign culture towards the five important roles in life - happiness, marriage, children, money and death - so purchasing this book to accompany the show was ideal, especially as Karl expresses his feelings through the art of communication, much to the amusement of those who listen!
Still here as I hoped? Sorry to have got carried away with my mini commentary on the presents I received for my birthday, but I simply had to express my love for every single one of them. From a young age, I have always felt compelled to give descriptions as long as a computer manual for the most silliest things and it hasn't changed one bit as I've gotten older, despite trying to finding a probable way of explaining something in less than five or so sentences. Perhaps that is a habit which I ought to break harder than a hollow Easter egg in my new age, though I could always use that rarely seen power to my own advantage?
Anyway, I feel like I'm stating a list of New Year's Resolutions, despite 2014 officially beginning more than four weeks ago, but who cares? I hope to gain more knowledge, be nicer (except my brother if he has had one too many turns on the TV all day) and find an extraordinary cure to acne within the next 363 or so days until I hit a newer age - one of which I may reveal to you in the nearish future.
New Age Teenager, here I am!
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