Happy birthday to you...

Ah, birthdays! A time for reflecting on personal growth and current state of life. An event spent with friends and family--those who are most meaningful in our lives. So, when I was sitting at a quaint restaurant with date number 16, I was a little shocked when he mentioned that it was his birthday!

This was date two--which is a little less awkward than date one--but still somewhat uncomfortable. The fact that it was his birthday added to it. He had mentioned his birth date on our first date, and I totally forgot about it. I probably should have brought him a cake--but would that have been awkward? I tried to order a dessert but, since he was really sick (also a strange component to the date), he didn't want to ingest anything too sugary.

As soon he left for the bathroom (for a coughing attack), I gave the waiter my card to pay the bill. But, when the meal ended, I could tell that this made my date very uncomfortable (he is from another culture, where it is unacceptable for women to pay).

And so, I left the date, promising him a home-baked dessert of his choice in the future. And I vowed not to go on early-in-the-relationship birthday dates anymore!

Well...until the following week. I was asked on another 2nd date (different guy, obviously), which entailed celebrating his birthday. The 2nd guy, however, invited his friends and family too. This seemed a little more natural, but also meant I had to exert an extra effort to get to know/impress his loved ones so early in the game.

Is this a new phenomenon in the dating world? My birthday is this month. Maybe I should invite all the guys I have dated, up until now, to celebrate with me. That should be plenty awkward!