I hate birthdays. I hate birthday parties. I hate them. I don't

Opening Scene – Narrated by Host

The room was quiet, the soft rustling of pages the only sound in the air. The evening had come slowly, the warm light from the window fading into the calm of the night. Jack sat at his desk, his eyes scanning a stack of papers, but his focus was far from the task at hand. His thoughts seemed to be pulling him in a hundred different directions, but there was something specific on his mind — something he hadn’t yet found the words for.

Jeeny sat across from him, a gentle smile on her face, but her gaze sharp, sensing the quiet tension in the air. She could tell that Jack was struggling with something, though it wasn’t clear what. She waited for him to speak, knowing that sometimes, all it took was the right question.

Host: The room was still, the weight of the silence hanging between them.

Jeeny: Her voice broke the stillness, gentle yet direct. “Jack, I came across a quote today that made me think of you. It’s from Cat Deeley. She said, ‘I hate birthdays. I hate birthday parties. I hate them. I don’t know what it is, anybody’s only got to come wafting near me with a piece of cake with a candle on and I break out in hives.’ What do you think about that?”

Jack: His eyes flickered up to hers, a soft laugh escaping him, but there was something underlying the humor. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the desk. “It’s funny because I can totally relate. There’s something about the whole spectacle of birthdays, the attention, the forced celebration, that doesn’t sit well with me either. It’s like this expectation to be happy, to be excited, and I’m just sitting there like… ‘Why am I doing this?’”

He sighed, his voice growing more thoughtful. “It’s not even about the cake or the candles, it’s about everything surrounding it. The pressure to celebrate, to make a big deal out of what’s essentially just another day in the year. Maybe that’s the thing — it feels like a performance more than a celebration.”

Jeeny: She nodded slowly, her eyes steady as she listened. “Exactly. It’s the obligation that comes with birthdays, the idea that you have to be joyful or grateful or enthusiastic just because it’s your day. But in reality, it’s just another day. And sometimes, the attention can be overwhelming, even a little suffocating. It’s like everyone expects you to fit into this mold of what a ‘birthday person’ should be.”

Her voice softened, almost reassuring, as if speaking from experience. “I think a lot of people feel the same way, but we’re made to think we should love it, should enjoy the fuss. But when you’re not in the right headspace for it, when you’re not feeling it, it feels almost like a burden.”

Jack: He nodded slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing as he considered her words. “Yeah, it’s the expectation that gets to me. It’s not just about being grateful or celebratory, it’s about the feeling that everyone else is watching you, waiting for you to react in a certain way. And I just want to say, ‘This is me. I don’t need to perform for anyone today. I just want to be myself.’”

He exhaled slowly, the frustration in his voice now more evident. “It’s funny — we celebrate birthdays because we want to feel special, but sometimes, they make you feel like you’re not allowed to just be. Like you have to live up to this external image of happiness, and if you don’t, then there’s something wrong with you.”

Jeeny: Her smile deepened, a quiet sense of understanding in her eyes. “I get that. It’s like society has this mold, this idea of what a birthday should be, and if you don’t fit into that, it feels like you’re the odd one out. But the truth is, it’s okay to not enjoy the traditional celebration. It’s okay to opt out of the performance and just do what feels right for you. It’s your day, after all.”

Her voice softened, almost like a gentle reminder. “The pressure to conform to these celebrations isn’t worth it if it doesn’t feel authentic to you. Sometimes, the most meaningful way to celebrate is quietly, in your own way, without the expectations of anyone else.”

Jack: He smiled slightly, a sense of relief settling in. “Yeah, I think that’s the heart of it — doing things on your own terms. If a birthday celebration feels like a chore, like it’s something you’re forced into, then what’s the point? It’s about finding joy on your own terms, in your own time, without feeling like you have to fit into someone else’s idea of happiness.”

He paused, his gaze softening, a quiet realization settling in. “Maybe the key is to stop measuring happiness based on external expectations and focus on what genuinely makes me feel content. And if that means skipping the cake and the candles, so be it.”

Jeeny: She smiled warmly, her expression full of quiet satisfaction. “Exactly. Happiness isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about honoring your own feelings and needs, and not letting anyone else dictate what your joy should look like. Birthdays can be special, but only if they’re authentic to you.”

Host: The room felt lighter now, the earlier tension replaced with a sense of clarity. Jack seemed to have found peace in understanding that birthdays, and celebrations in general, didn’t have to fit a specific mold. The world outside continued its rhythm, but inside, the realization had settled in: true happiness didn’t come from meeting external expectations, but from honoring one’s own needs and desires.

End Scene.