Categories: uncategorized
Date: 31 January 2008 07:03:11
So I have started the journey today away from my mid-30's and towards reaching 40 (which for a whole host of reasons I can't wait to reach).
This year there has been an interesting development on the whole b'day thing though. The increased use of it for direct marketing purposes. Now I know this is something 18 year olds have experienced for years and politicians find it a useful tool for reaching young people. However, it is a relatively new development in relation to trying to reach the more aged population (of which I now fully count myself).
Unfortunately whilst this personalisation of marketing is meant to make me feel valued logically I know the greeting relates to the fact that databases hold our date of birth and all it takes is the right formular in the box and a b'day greeting is sent from a company computer to my own, (or in the case of the hairdresser a card is popped in an envelope a week before). So today it seems that my b'day has actually lost its value now and is simply another marketing tool to be used and exploited.
In an increasingly isolated and post-modern world I am not sure though, if these greetings have actually made me feel better or worse. With Third Party still away on her mission of mercy to Tractor Land and not back till later today, beyond the vbf who got my prezzie to me a couple of weeks ago and the organised relative who always sends the most brilliant card a couple of days early these were my b'day greetings. Don't get me wrong this is not an ahhh moment - (I am not a complete billy and so will just have to wait until later in the day) but it is a comment on modern life and one which must, inevitably, give rise to a spell of Bridget Jones style questioning. Is one glad to get some greeting even if it is from a machine in cyber space belonging to a website I don't even remember ever registering on or would it be better just to be left without any recognition that I am another year nearer to dying a (born again) spinster?