Things I like about myself - an inspired birthday edition
Back to double digits and apparently “on the right path" and with angels attempting to communicate with me *not to be confused with my first Substack birthday
It’s been my birthday week this week! (Thursday, to be exact).
As far as birthdays go, I’ve had some doozies. I was born the day before one of the most notorious days in modern history, which just about cancelled my 21st because every one was in such shock. I remember going out for pizza with a friend. That was it.
The next year, my grandfather in Sydney died on September 11 so that kind of wrecked the day after. Again.
My 30th, which I actually had in Toronto on a horse farm at my aunty’s with a party in London when I was back, in Shoreditch, was fab.
I had a few on my own in Uganda because I was in the expat bubble and it’s a transient place.
My 40th, I had during lockdown - at a youth hostel of all places, because I went travelling around northern NSW in Australia while the country’s borders were shut and while I was waiting to go back overseas. There’s nothing like having a birthday in a *youth* hostel to make you feel old. It was actually in Coffs Harbour surrounded by backpackers who were all fruit pickers. (Not this one, but another one). I had not one friend around, because all friends moved out of my area, either up the coast, to Brisbane or to Sydney or elsewhere.
Luckily then my parents drove down and took me out to an Ethiopian restaurant (which was actually very cool, however I don’t think I have one single photo of it). Last year I was at home, at my parents’ in Murwillumbah and went on a bike ride.
Just like Christmas, I don’t think that we need to get hung up on one day of the year however social media, capitalism and other things fuels this and the expectations to always be having an absolute ball and never admit to anything less. (I have had some wildly varying Christmas’ including one on a very rundown train travelling from Zambia to Tanzania completely on my own which I’ll write about when that time comes around again).
But this year I was determined to have a decent birthday for once, so I made a point of going away for it and doing something fun. This whole year has been strange but it’s also been very difficult in the UK.
I will save the location for a travel guide later - although feel free to guess where I went and tell me - but I did do some fun things. I had an apple pie with whipped cream and an Aperol Spritz. (I hadn’t drunk since NYE last year). I went to a few museums. And then yesterday I met up with my good friend Peter from Uganda who I first met in 2014 and who haven’t seen for a couple of years. (Shout out to him for also looking after me as I got lost a few times!) I also got many wishes (including from strangers on LinkedIn) which was lovely. In London the day before, I went to see my hairdresser and he kindly gave me a fringe trim for free.
I bought myself something exciting and hopefully helpful: a virtual ticket to The Content Byte Summit for writers, which I went to last year in person in Sydney and got a lot out of.
To be honest, it’s been the best birthday in years!
With my new age, I am back to double digits, which according to an extensive Google search that I conducted means that you’re “on the right path”, “the angels are attempting to communicate with you”, and indicates “a willingness to work hard and is usually successful”. Let’s see.
This year I am taking inspiration from one of my favourite writers on and off here, Tiffany Philippou, who wrote a post about what she liked about herself for her own birthday.
It’s an interesting exercise and besides I never properly introduced this newsletter.
Unless you’re a narcissist, writing the things that you like about yourself in a newsletter which is being sent out to some strangers is probably going to be a bit daunting, especially without sounding really cheesy. It may not be that there’s more things that you hate than like but one of the other problems that I kept on having was that I would keep equating like to appreciate so it was starting to feel like a gratitude/hashtag blessed list. I also wanted to get up to double digits for my new age but couldn’t.
It might also be a bit cheeky because can you say objectively that any of the things on it are true but if it’s your birthday will any one really argue with you? Anyway before I packed for my short trip on Wednesday night and then on a couple of trains (including Eurostar) I came up with a few. Tiffany put hers behind a paywall but I’m keeping this newsletter free for the time being, so here goes - some things I like about myself.
My teeth. I thought this might be a good one to start with because of the saying “another year older, another year wiser”. I still have both my wisdom teeth. (“But you’re not wise,” my father joked, only a few years back). But my teeth are not bad. They’re not Jennifer Aniston’s, but they could be worse. And I have only ever needed a few fillings. Last year I was warned that I’d eventually have to have my wisdom teeth out, which terrifies me. Stay tuned.
I am “zany and unpredictable” as a friend in Uganda told me. Obviously I’m not putting this on LinkedIn, but it’s one of the best compliments that I’ve ever received.
I can braid my hair pretty quickly. Yes, it's not the most amazing of talents. But I can’t play a musical instrument. I never learnt a language. My drawing is so bad. My cooking and my driving (although for the record I do have a license that I got on the first go) leave a lot to be desired. So it has to be this.
My typing. I don’t know how many words per minute (WPM) I can do but without it things (including this newsletter) would definitely be harder. It’s probably the best thing that I learnt at school (in year 10 Business Studies). Ask me about my shorthand that I studied later as part of my journalism cadetship… Not so crash hot.
My activism - because it has helped achieve good things, especially as we’ve seen this year. Of course I could always step it up. I have also done a lot of volunteering this year. In fact I saw the year in at a rough sleepers’ centre in the Docklands and volunteered during the election campaign.
I could also always do more on the generosity front, but I would like to think that I am pretty generous. I do like to give presents, particularly books.
My sarcasm. Possibly has something to do with being antipodean. A couple of years ago when I was working at a co-working in Brighton every day, one of the guys who worked there told me that he really wanted to “out sarcasm an Aussie” which made me proud.
My fashion sense. No more to say.
My lipstick - no matter what colour it is.
My name. Especially the last one because it’s the same as a famous comedian. There's a place named after it, as I found out the other day via X, which I'll have to visit one day. Plus it fits on everything.
I've also discovered in the past couple of years that I have some interesting doppelgängers. There’s an Amy Fallon who works for the UNHCR in Kenya. (Yes, we’ve been mixed up several times and I’ve been in touch with her). Another has done some projects on digital nomads, which is fitting. And there’s other Amy Fallons who work in development and human rights. Love. Amy Fallon Convention one day, please.
My sense of adventure, although sometimes I wish I was a little bit less restless. But I would like to think that I can always find something to do and am curious, so ask people questions. Even during the pandemic I still managed to travel up and down the east coast of Australia. (Note: I would like to stress that I’m not for one minute suggesting that travel means excitement and glamour and that it necessarily makes you a better person as this other piece highlights, or more interesting or that you need to do a lot of it for a well-lived life, because it definitely does not and will write more about this later).
My sense of self-awareness. Although I'm too sensitive, I wonder if that makes me self aware and sensitive to the needs of others. I don't know if there's any psychological basis in this argument. A therapist will probably tell me that there's not.
My nationalities. I appreciate this but I also like the Australians and Canadians (yes, really).
My lack of materialism or my lack of needing material objects. Yes I know this has been driven by the fact that I don’t and haven’t needed these things because I've moved around a fair bit in the past few years. And I don’t own a house. So I don’t exactly need the latest Dyson vacuum. But nor do I think I care that much. I guess I’ve prioritised experiences. There’s obviously advantages and disadvantages to this.
But something I do like is my jewellery collection because I have things I’ve collected from all around the world such as bangles from South Africa and another one that’s Inuit that I got last year at a museum in Vancouver.
My running. Yes it’s not where it was once at, but I need to remember that I did take it up again in Uganda (of all places), went on to run the Toronto Marathon and a half marathon in Johannesburg and have done other events. And I will get it back to where it once was.
My adaptability and flexibility. I don't think that I would have been able to go to so many different places if I wasn't able to get on with people and tolerate all sorts of people . And I'd also like to think that I make friends easily wherever I go.
That I’m independent (says someone who has been lost three times today…). I am happy that for the most part I like my own company and can survive on my own.
And finally, I like my determination.
Phew. This is all I can actually get to. What do you like about yourself? Feel free to do this on your own birthday and send it to me!
Now off to bed and this is where I’m sleeping tonight - in a pod. It’s up high, so I hope that I don’t need to go to the loo in the night… In fact the whole hostel that I’m staying at, which is in a church, is a story of its own. (Yes another year older, but still in hostels!) More about this in my next post.
Someone so kind bought me the first virtual coffees for this newsletter this week! I can’t convey in words how much it’s made my week/month/year/life!
Until next week.