Happy birthday to me.
I was born 38 years ago in a hospital on Overtoom, in the city of Amsterdam. It was 6pm. My dad said: 'She's got big feet'. [ me, today ]
I was named after my grandmother, and also after princess Caroline of Monaco, I think. I was to be the only child in my parents' marriage and neither of them had any outside of the marriage which lasted 12 years.
As a kid I thought I was going to be an air hostess (though I would have preferred to be a pilot, unthinkable in those days), or a vet, an actress or a writer. As a teenager, I wanted to be a PE teacher but I applied, in vain, to become a journalist. Instead I studied English and Dutch, but didn't finish.
I made rash choices along the way - never thinking, always feeling. Somehow, things worked out all right. I'm not succesful, but I'm not poor. I'm not an actor or a vet, but I do write and have seen a lot of the world, though not as an air hostess.
My life didn't turn out the way I thought - but I never did envisage 'marriage, kids' anyway - the thought never occurred to me.
There's beauty in my life. On rare occasions. It's what I live for.
I am positive that today, tomorrow, will be better than yesterday.
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Personal1 Comments
Happy birthday Caroline! Hope it's a good year for you!
said Tom Cosgrave on April 19, 2001 12:53 AM
Gefeliciteerd! Dat je verjaardag het begin van een mooi jaar & de lente mag zijn. Tsja
said Tsja on April 19, 2001 12:58 AM
happy birthday caroline!
said heather on April 19, 2001 01:06 AM
Congratiolations Caroline! Only feel old when you turn your age around! ;-)
said Ramon on April 19, 2001 01:43 AM
Many happy returns Caroline - a fantastic day wished to a fantastic lady!
said Dave on April 19, 2001 01:49 AM
Breithla shona duit! 48 minutes late, but it still counts, right? Hope you had a good 'un.
said helena on April 19, 2001 01:51 AM
Het beste voor de komende 38 jaar! In de gloria, In de gloria, hip hip hip hoera!
said eric on April 19, 2001 03:52 AM
happy birthday! :)
said Amber on April 19, 2001 04:16 AM
Very happy birthday to you!
said Michael on April 19, 2001 05:33 AM
Ook hier van harte gefeliciteerd!
said Martijn on April 19, 2001 09:53 AM
appy bert-dey! ope ya ave a bleedin mad-owa wan. (translation from northsidese: happy birthday! hope you have a great time.)
said ptr on April 19, 2001 10:03 AM
Happy birthday, love!
said Tom Coates on April 19, 2001 10:07 AM
Best wishes, enjoy :)
said jen on April 19, 2001 11:18 AM
Chris made me a Beautiful Birthday cake :-) http://u2log.com/archive/2001_04_01_archive.shtml#3265781
said prol on April 19, 2001 11:52 AM
Gefeliciteerd!
said IZ on April 19, 2001 12:03 PM
Van harte! Maak er een mooie dag van. 'and for half your life your were wishing you were half your age...' (Fish, Lady Let It Lie)
said Jan on April 19, 2001 12:03 PM
Happy birthday! Hope it's a good one. (ps, come to London) xx
said Meg on April 19, 2001 12:50 PM
Many happy returns of the day, Caroline. "May you live as long as you love, and love as long as you live."
said Alwin on April 19, 2001 01:11 PM
Gefeliciteerd! :-)
said Rachel on April 19, 2001 01:21 PM
Happy birthday to you.
said Zidouta on April 19, 2001 01:49 PM
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Caroline! Today is your day, enjoy it. Life is a gift: cherish every moment and never look back.
said HS on April 19, 2001 02:50 PM
Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag.
said Koen on April 19, 2001 03:12 PM
Simply, Happy Birthday.
said Naz on April 19, 2001 04:23 PM
Hieperdepiephoera!
said Tonie on April 19, 2001 05:00 PM
Happy Birthday! And that's one of the best autobiographies I've ever read.
said Vaughan on April 19, 2001 05:53 PM
Gelukkige verjaardag!!
said bram on April 19, 2001 06:23 PM
[belated] Happy Birthday, Caroline! Will listen to piano-playing when back on super-fast connection (three days time)... all the best for the future. t. [/belated]
said tom on April 19, 2001 09:25 PM
Mazzeltov!
said YaWie on April 19, 2001 09:57 PM
All the belated best I can muster. Have a bloody great 01... xo
said ben on April 20, 2001 01:59 AM
Happy Birthday, vonB!
said Christopher Schmitt on April 20, 2001 02:40 AM
Happy Birthday prol!
said matt on April 20, 2001 02:57 AM
Happy happy! Hope it was a great one.
said Jason on April 20, 2001 07:03 AM
It was an uneventful day. I went to work. (I got a little prezzie there) I went home. Nobody called. Saturday's gonna be good though, if I get all the shopping done before guests arrive. A car, a car, my kingdom for a car.
said prol on April 20, 2001 08:07 AM