Over the Hill

I shouldn't be surprised- it's just like Papa to leave the planning to the last minute. But this? Unbelievable. A person's birthdate doesn't change from year to year, now, does it? Most people have their 60th Event planned years in advance.

But does Papa have the Hill Venue? No. Does he have the Caterer? No. Does he have the Gifts sorted? No. It's like he doesn't care. Like he expects us to do it for him.

Incredible. He has spent his life expecting other people to take care of him so I should have been immune to this disrespect, but- still; it has caught me off guard. I did not expect him to be an actual Unprepared. Such an embarrassment.

I'm only 25 and already I have the Venue (Canton Avenue in Pittsburgh, because why not go back to my roots and go Over the Hill at the steepest hill in my hometown?), the Caterer (a cookie table, of course and I have a dedicated freezer in the Center so I can order a few dozen at a time and keep them below zero), and the Gifts Log begun in the Cloud; each item I own already Named and plenty of room for things to come.

I can't. I can't hold back about how upset I am about his refusal to sort out the Gifts. After all the work I did with The River app? So that people could assign names to everything they order and have that link directly to their Gift Log? Everyone in the world, well scratch that; almost everyone in the world uses The River and the app because it just makes sense. No need to use Time on mundane details, now; is there?

But not MY Papa. No indeed.

His 60th birthday is next week and crickets on the Event. Nothing is planned, no Invites have been sent, and now I'm texting every Hill Venue to see if they can take him last minute. If I have to admit he is an Unprepared, well- that's his legacy and not mine, right? At least he won't have to deal with the shame for long, and isn't that just like him? He never sticks around for the hard parts.

Thankfully, Mama wasn't like that two years ago. She had everything in place, had a nice meal Day Of, kissed us all, and showed once again how dignified and inspiring Over the Hill can truly be. After we waited at the Hill Venue for the Grains of Life to be gathered, we scattered them in front of the holo (I could have sworn that we were standing there in person!) showing the view from the overlook on Mount Washington as she planned, then went back to the house for the pierogi, kielbasa, and halushki she'd ordered before we each took our Gifts home.

No drama Mama, as expected. Showing the dignity in being among the Prepared. They say women are more mature than men, and I know she was teased for marrying someone younger back in the say, but Papa's always lived on the edge and showed an unhealthy interest in the unpredictable. Obsessing about Clocks and Time.

All that talk about Free Will and Destiny. The obsession with Ancient History of the 70's and the Fountain of Life and the Incas or whatever. It's not healthy. He's had his, well almost; in a week he will have had his 60 years and they have been good ones just as are Promised.

Food. Clothing. Rooms. Streaming. Health. Family. Credits. Oxygen. Work. Purpose.

The Promise is, as always, fulfilled. We all have our part in the Promise. Next week it will be his Time to Go Over the Hill.