So, I'm on the phone with a friendly acquaintance - we're not best friends or anything - just playing catch up. Things are going well, and his daughter turns one-year-old at the end of the next week. He invites me to the birthday party, and I balk. And I'll tell you why.
First, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 comes out next week. I've even called my Hollywood counterparts, and unless something sells next week, I'm off the grid until next Sunday. I won't be doing anything but drinking cans of Diet Coke and playing Modern Warfare 2. I might even take a break to eat.
Now that's my primary reason for turning down the invitation, and although I don't tell him this ("I'm busy all week, sorry."), he continues to push it anyway. So, I tell him my other reason: I don't see the point in attending a birthday party for a toddler, since they will never remember it anyway.
Not only am I supposed to travel out of my way to attend a dumb party, but the person it's for won't even remember it? That's poppycock. I'm not even best friends with this guy, and I didn't even attend parties, showers or whatever for my best friend's kid.
So then he asks me to at least buy a present, but I tell him I won't be doing that either. What's the point? A one-year-old won't remember who gave them the gift or even remember the gift years from now, the whole gift giving process for babies is pointless. Why would I buy a gift for a baby's birthday party that I don't even plan on attending?
... Somehow, this painted me as a monster, but I felt I was totally within the right here.
