Today is what I like to refer to as the day of the Unholy Trinity of Quirky Weirdness. It is Fred Astaire’s birthday. It is Sid Vicious’ birthday. And it is my birthday.
It’s kind of cool to share a birthday with someone like Fred Astaire who was known for his neat, slicked-back hair and incredibly enthusiastic dance moves.
I know that if I was a dancer the above move would be in my repertoire. It just feels like something I would do if I could actually dance. I feel a strong affinity with that move, in particular the foot on the floor balancing at a 45 degree angle. Dance and geometry in the one move. Fred had it all.
It’s also kind of cool to share a birthday with one of the biggest bad asses of all time – Sid Vicious, the bass player with The Sex Pistols. An important part of the British punk movement he was renowned for urinating on the audience and cutting himself on stage.
And he could pull the most amazing faces. Look at that sneer. He would put any toddler who has been told they’re not having any sweets before dinner to shame.
If I’d been a punk I would have been a bad ass like Sid with a sneer that never left my face – even when I was asleep.
And then there’s me. Famous only in my own mind, but quirky and weird nonetheless and definitely thrust screaming emphatically into this world on May 10.
Those of you who have read this blog for more than a week are probably aware of my penchant for whimsy and will appreciate the thrill I feel upon sharing my birthday with such auspicious characters as Sid and Fred.
I feel a kinship with those two men. I can imagine us in another life hosting a talk show together – a mix of The Graham Norton Show, So You Think You Can Dance and Dr. Phil. The ratings would be astronomical and we would have sponsors chomping at the bit to have their products carefully placed by the Unholy Trinity, offering us a lifetime supply of George Foreman Grills, ChamWOWs and maybe even Snuggies. But we wouldn’t be swayed – we would merely dance and sneer and make wisecracks, true to our quirky, weird and whimsical selves right up until the end. For that is what being born on May 10 is all about.
Happy Birthday, Sid and Fred. You make being born on this day much more hip than I ever thought it could be.
