Mason

My 31st birthday was last week, and I have fully embraced being a boring old man. I didn't do anything outrageous--just had a nice dinner out with my family. My wife wanted to take me on a big weekend trip, but I told her it wasn't important enough to me to justify spending the money. And do you want to know what I asked for as a present? Dual flush toilets. That's right. For my birthday, I thought about being more water efficient.

As I've gotten older, I've embraced the idea that I don't need to do things to impress anybody. This often makes my wife crazy, because it means I'll easily say "no" to invitations for going out with friends or other social things if I'm not in the mood. But on the flip side, if there's something I do want to do, I pretty much do it. That makes me impossible to plan for and buy presents for, but in the long run, it's just what works out best for me.

There's nothing particularly special about turning 31 in the United States. I'm in a bit of a vaccuum until I hit 40. That, or have a kid. What are the big birthdays where you live?