It is Travis' turn: it is my least popular day of the year – Alexandria Echo Press

Saturday is my birthday, my 43.

I'm not looking forward to it.

It is not that I'm afraid of the older – it is because my birthdays were traditionally not great.

This is not together to get lousy gifts, or nobody remembers or does not feel valued or one of the other birthday drops. It has more to do with luck.

Bad luck. What I have.

In view of the fact that my birthday is up to the height of the cold and flu season, I was often sick.

Since I have been sick again and again for more than a week, I think that this birthday will be free of disease. Yes, I plan to be fine until Saturday. Crossed thumbs.

Then there was the year when I had my annual medical examination for my birthday. I wasn't sick this year, so I think that this is a point for the “good” birthday category.

Unfortunately the good part ended. In the middle of the examination, the doctor asked: “Does your back hurt?”

“Yes, sometimes. Why?” “Because for me it looks like you have scoliosis.”

Another investigation showed that this was true when the doctor said: “Oh yes, you have the S-curve.”

This year my answer was when someone asked me what I received for my birthday: “Scoliosis!”

One of the other birthdays that I believe was my 33rd or 34th place. I recently published my fourth book and was supposed to give a reading in the local library that evening.

To advertise the reading, I appeared in a radio interview show in which I spoke in detail about the book. The interview went well and the host later told me: “I think you will be surprised how many people come.”

I was surprised. Because nobody came.

Between the time when I did the interview and when I should give the reading, it began to snow.

As a child, snow was one of the few redeemable properties of my birthdays, since sometimes there was so much snow that the school had to be canceled. (I no longer see things that way. If it snows on my birthday these days, I can only moan.)

It continued and snow and snow.

Although it wasn't exactly a white-out, it was enough to get people to stay inside for the evening.

Who could really blame them? If I didn't have the reading, I wouldn't have run out either.

Unfortunately I had the reading and I waited at least half an hour after it started with the off-chance that someone was picking up.

Nobody did it. Not even one of the library employees.

I know I know. Problems of the first world.

These are not even my worst birthdays. They are just a foretaste of the anger and outrage that I have overthrown over the years.

But I am determined that this year will be good. I think I'm due.

And if it is not, I think that's okay. There are always next year.

Travis Gulbrandson covers several strokes, including the Osakis School Board and the city council of Osakis and the Brandon-Evansville School Board. His focus will also be on crime and court news.