An unsuccessful getaway

And I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those pesky kids.."

So said the perpetrator of some wicked crime in Scooby Doo, expressing his remorse at the fact that were it not for the unwanted attention of some people he did not particularly know, and was not expecting any interest from, he would have otherwise have been able to continue his nefarious life of crime in peace and quiet.

It hasn't been my birthday for a few days now, and so it was this evening that I logged on to Second Life quite expecting not to be walking right into a surprise birthday party - but when someone said "Would you just come over this way, please?" I somehow immediately knew that the game was up, that my attempts to keep my birthday quiet had not been successful, and that the word was out.

"Would you just move a little to the left?" is usually a sign that someone has carefully arranged a dangling piano, swinging delicately from a thin rope, just above your head, but you're not standing in quite the perfect position to be flattened.

And so, sure enough, moving a little over this way please revealed that waiting for me was was cake, balloons, dancing, and, therefore, a rather embarrassed white bat standing awkwardly in the corner of the dance floor, not really sure what to say or do or how to deal with this rather unexpected situation.

I'm not sure if I should be comforted by the fact that I found the virtual experience almost entirely as awkward and embarrassing as I would have found it in real life. It's not that I'm not grateful - it was awfully nice of my Second Life acquaintances to do this. I'm sure that if I wasn't such a basket case I would have appreciated it even more. It just makes me wonder where on earth my head is at - is it because I don't know how to handle social situations? Because I feel awkward at having to appear pleased or happy when all I feel is.. awkward? That I just don't know what to say? Or something else entirely?

More questions than answers. But I hope that despite my awkward silences, everyone had a good time. If I think about it some more I'm sure I'll be filled with that nice kind of inside warmth that comes from not being blind to something quite as valuable as friendship. It might have been my birthday a few days ago but I'm clearly  still not enough of a grown-up to handle such things. Maybe one day. :-)