I haven't really done a post 21st + 1 and a third yet, mostly because it was the reason I was so emo, but I feel a bit like I should get it all out of my system so it's not just festering in there waiting to build up. Also, thanks to Vidya (I invited Scott, and thought he'd bring you along, I don't have your contact details, although I do have you on facebook now. ^_^) and Darren (we really should catch up sometime, but I'll try to organise something, as you always get stuck with that crappy job. You'll have to forward stuff though, as I don't have some people's contact details) for not showing up. =)
First, I should mention that GP and QCN sang "Still Alive" when we had the cakes out, which was cool (although when GP reminded me of it later, I thought he said "Stayin' Alive" and couldn't remember him singing that at all, which made me wonder if I had had too much to drink that night).
It was also good of Kalg to come along, even though he was staying in Geelong at the time, and I'm glad the WoW people came along, as MrMan5.5 got to meet them (although I once again failed to introduce him to Korsair). Most of my time was spent making brief conversations with people, giving people wrist bands and directing strangers to the party that was in the back room of the bar, which was unfortunate, because it meant I wasn't able to really talk to anyone until later in the night when most people had left.
I got some pretty cool presents including the first two seasons of Stargate SG-1 and a cool pendulum clock. Aunty Helen and Uncle Raymond gave me a book about a ex-teacher turned stalker. How apt. @_@ I also got Guitar Hero for the DS which my sisters are currently playing through, although I predict they will get RSI pretty soon.
For me, the most important part of 21sts is the speeches. It's pretty much the one time in your life where people are going to talk about you, and you'll be alive to hear it (the other time would be at your funeral where you don't even get a chance to defend yourself). I asked a few groups of people to give speeches, Amanda and Anjelica, Sharon and Graham and MrMan5.5 and QCN. I had actually asked the first 4 at the time of my actual 21st to give a speech and they agreed, so I figured they would have something one and a third years later. That turned out not to be the case.
A couple of weeks before my 21st + 1 and a third, I asked MrMan5.5 if he had anything prepared for my speech. He told me that he was going to wing it. I think that's when the entire thing clicked. The six people who know me better than anyone weren't even able to come up with a minute's worth of things to say about me. In the end, MrMan5.5 and QCN gave a speech along the lines of, "Anna is an awesome person, I'm really glad that I met her."
Is my life really so devoid of content that nobody can think of anything to say about me? They say that when you die, you live on in other's people's memories of you, but if that's the case, then I guess when I die, I'm just going to die, because nobody will have any memory of me.
Anyway, I thought that I could write the speech that I had planned to make, but didn't on the night, as soon after finding out nobody had a speech prepared other than me, I found I had lost the celebratory feeling.
Thank you everybody for coming tonight, it means a lot to me that you were able to come - even at such short notice. You might be wondering why I bothered with a 21st even though I'm not 22. I thought about it, and realised that it's very fitting that I celebrate my 22nd rather than my 21st, as so many things in my life have come in 2s.
I went to two different primary schools (St. Mary's Catholic School and Errol St. Primary School), I went to two high schools (if you count the time we were shipped off to Maribyrnong S.C. for half a year after they discovered asbestos in our main school building and had to remove it), and now I'm studying two degrees at university.
I have two incredible parents. My mum who has always put up with everything I've wanted to do and been my personal taxi driver for so many years. Who encouraged me to do so many different things: piano, karate, tennis, swimming, girl guides, chess. Who still makes sure that I go to bed every night, rather than staying all night playing World of Warcraft or watching TV shows. My dad who introduced me to the awesomeness that is The Legend of Zelda series. Who is always happy to sit and watch me play a game, offering suggestions and telling me when I'm being an idiot. Who helped me learn all the different fruits and vegetables I'm required to know for work, and who is always there to provide and endless supply of dad jokes, and problems with the computer that only he manages to find.
I have two awesome brothers (if you count Ric-niisan, my brother in name, rather than blood). Alex, who shared most of my childhood interests - from Samurai Pizza Cats to Power Rangers to Pokémon. Who was always there as someone I could play games with - and even though he was (and still is) always better than me, he gave me something to aim towards. Ric-niisan, who kept me awake in lectures - when he bothered to show up to them. Who helped me with mysterious things in Python that stopped my code from working, and who always reminds me to eat waffles.
Rather than me talking all night, I'm going to let three other groups of two say some hopefully nice stuff about me.
(let my sisters talk)
(let Sharon and Graham talk)
(let QCN and MrMan5.5 talk)
Well, that's how it would have worked out ideally, but oh well. It was nice that TS showed up at least. Plus, now I never have to have another 21st, and if someone is going to poke me into having a 50th, well, let's hope that I'm dead by then, or they are.
First, I should mention that GP and QCN sang "Still Alive" when we had the cakes out, which was cool (although when GP reminded me of it later, I thought he said "Stayin' Alive" and couldn't remember him singing that at all, which made me wonder if I had had too much to drink that night).
It was also good of Kalg to come along, even though he was staying in Geelong at the time, and I'm glad the WoW people came along, as MrMan5.5 got to meet them (although I once again failed to introduce him to Korsair). Most of my time was spent making brief conversations with people, giving people wrist bands and directing strangers to the party that was in the back room of the bar, which was unfortunate, because it meant I wasn't able to really talk to anyone until later in the night when most people had left.
I got some pretty cool presents including the first two seasons of Stargate SG-1 and a cool pendulum clock. Aunty Helen and Uncle Raymond gave me a book about a ex-teacher turned stalker. How apt. @_@ I also got Guitar Hero for the DS which my sisters are currently playing through, although I predict they will get RSI pretty soon.
For me, the most important part of 21sts is the speeches. It's pretty much the one time in your life where people are going to talk about you, and you'll be alive to hear it (the other time would be at your funeral where you don't even get a chance to defend yourself). I asked a few groups of people to give speeches, Amanda and Anjelica, Sharon and Graham and MrMan5.5 and QCN. I had actually asked the first 4 at the time of my actual 21st to give a speech and they agreed, so I figured they would have something one and a third years later. That turned out not to be the case.
A couple of weeks before my 21st + 1 and a third, I asked MrMan5.5 if he had anything prepared for my speech. He told me that he was going to wing it. I think that's when the entire thing clicked. The six people who know me better than anyone weren't even able to come up with a minute's worth of things to say about me. In the end, MrMan5.5 and QCN gave a speech along the lines of, "Anna is an awesome person, I'm really glad that I met her."
Is my life really so devoid of content that nobody can think of anything to say about me? They say that when you die, you live on in other's people's memories of you, but if that's the case, then I guess when I die, I'm just going to die, because nobody will have any memory of me.
Anyway, I thought that I could write the speech that I had planned to make, but didn't on the night, as soon after finding out nobody had a speech prepared other than me, I found I had lost the celebratory feeling.
Thank you everybody for coming tonight, it means a lot to me that you were able to come - even at such short notice. You might be wondering why I bothered with a 21st even though I'm not 22. I thought about it, and realised that it's very fitting that I celebrate my 22nd rather than my 21st, as so many things in my life have come in 2s.
I went to two different primary schools (St. Mary's Catholic School and Errol St. Primary School), I went to two high schools (if you count the time we were shipped off to Maribyrnong S.C. for half a year after they discovered asbestos in our main school building and had to remove it), and now I'm studying two degrees at university.
I have two incredible parents. My mum who has always put up with everything I've wanted to do and been my personal taxi driver for so many years. Who encouraged me to do so many different things: piano, karate, tennis, swimming, girl guides, chess. Who still makes sure that I go to bed every night, rather than staying all night playing World of Warcraft or watching TV shows. My dad who introduced me to the awesomeness that is The Legend of Zelda series. Who is always happy to sit and watch me play a game, offering suggestions and telling me when I'm being an idiot. Who helped me learn all the different fruits and vegetables I'm required to know for work, and who is always there to provide and endless supply of dad jokes, and problems with the computer that only he manages to find.
I have two awesome brothers (if you count Ric-niisan, my brother in name, rather than blood). Alex, who shared most of my childhood interests - from Samurai Pizza Cats to Power Rangers to Pokémon. Who was always there as someone I could play games with - and even though he was (and still is) always better than me, he gave me something to aim towards. Ric-niisan, who kept me awake in lectures - when he bothered to show up to them. Who helped me with mysterious things in Python that stopped my code from working, and who always reminds me to eat waffles.
Rather than me talking all night, I'm going to let three other groups of two say some hopefully nice stuff about me.
(let my sisters talk)
(let Sharon and Graham talk)
(let QCN and MrMan5.5 talk)
Well, that's how it would have worked out ideally, but oh well. It was nice that TS showed up at least. Plus, now I never have to have another 21st, and if someone is going to poke me into having a 50th, well, let's hope that I'm dead by then, or they are.
2 comments:
www.cs.mu.oz.au/~lmalta/Speech.doc
I'd say you have every reason to feel emo about this. It was evident that the speeches were unprepared. I remember being a bit shocked.
I'd be insulted if close friends regarded it as too much of a chore to bother preparing a speech on the one night that speeches are such a tradition.
I enjoyed this post. It's nice to finally hear the reason for all the emo-ness after seeing the symptoms (ie. all the other recent emo posts).
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