Me, The Pill, Anne Baxter, Johnny Maestro, & Uncle Dave: Happy Birthday

Okay, it’s official. In one more year, in many locations, I can request a senior discount … and get it legally. The “Big 54” has settled upon me, and I really don’t feel any the worse for it. In fact, I always remember my ex-mother-in-law’s words about birthdays, “You don’t worry about HAVING them. It’s when you STOP having them that you have to worry.” Okay, dear Kay … I’m with you on that one!

Also realized that I'm older than The Pill. We share a birthday month ... but I have a few extra years on me. And The Pill, well, it doesn't look a day over, maybe, what? 49?! It wasn't yet around when I was just a twinkle in my mother's eye.

Anne Baxter, famous movie star of yesterday, was born on May 7 ... in the 1920s. She was part of the now-infamous film, "The Ten Commandments." Now, that's imposing!

And then there was Johnny Maestro ... of Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge. Oh, I listened to THEM when I was growing up, and never did I know he and I had the same birthdate. I even interviewed him once. He was probably tired, had had a long day--and it was not an impressive interview. He said little, and was even a bit curt. Oh well, we all have those days, eh? Johnny has recently passed away, and he's likely singing with the angels.

My Uncle Dave passed away very recently. He was always larger-than-life and I have to admit, I was often just this side of intimidated by him. As he aged, however, I saw his softer side, and truly appreciated his sweetness. There was one thing very specific he and I shared all those years, something no one else in the family shared—our birthdate. Today is also Uncle Dave’s birthday, and I’m sure the angels are singing to him--maybe Johnny Maestro is leading the choir?--right this minute.

And he’s sitting there, with that infamous crooked grin of his, an eyebrow cocked, just waiting for the perfect moment to sink a zinger on those unsuspecting angels. Be gentle, Uncle Dave … after all, they ARE angels, and it IS Heaven, so make it PG, will ya?!

Uncle Dave was always famous for that—his crooked grin, cocked eyebrow, and a dry, seat-of-his-pants comment that no expected placed at exactly the perfect moment in conversation. Everyone would then fall off their chair laughing, and he would just continue to grin. He knew what he was doing.



The Pill is famous forever, Anne Baxter's famous for having a hand in the heaviest set of rules of all times, Johnny Maestro is famous for his fantastic voice, I'm “Famous at 54,” and now my Uncle Dave has entered the “Famous Forever Club.”

Happy birthday to all who have May 7 as their special day ... you're famous, too!