I hope you are making optimum use of the Birthday Reminder Service! In this edition, find out what we’re doing on St. Patrick’s Day, what our little friends are doing for the laughs and why public proposals are not a wise idea. Join in…

This time on St. Paddy’s Day, we are not going out bar hopping. Instead, we have decided to do something different. Our St. Patrick’s Day will begin really early! My friends and I have planned to run a couple of blocks like the hashers do. When we complete our run, we will drown ourselves in good old drinking! Adrian is the one who had this brainwave of an idea and he has contacted everyone on his ecard dashboard to join the fun.

The real challenge for this St. Paddy’s Day run is the stamina that we will need. Frankly speaking, sitting at a cubicle and working for hours has taken a toll on almost all of us. Not to mention the junk food we gorge on a daily basis. The St. Patrick’s Day plan will be a welcome reminder that we have to do something about our health. But on that day, it’s going to be mayhem as all our friends get together! You have a great St. Paddy’s Day as well!

One must never miss out on the opportunity to have a hearty laugh! My little friends, Ethan and Emily, arranged for a video show at their place. Their aim was to watch the shows like ‘Friends’ and ‘The Simpsons’ together with their gang of friends. “There’s nothing like laughing together!” Ethan told me. Donna wanted to add her touch to the plan made by her children. She got two huge cutouts, one of the ‘Friends’ gang and another of the most wonderful family: ‘The Simpsons’.

The idea was a thumping success! Ethan and Emily entertained their friends with some quality food and there were those timeless episodes to spice things up. By the end of this ‘videothon’, they became an instant success story among their friends. Suddenly there were many such laugh sessions planned out and everyone wanted to have one of their own. Adrian was quite taken in by the idea. Last heard, he was making calls to have something similar at our pad, too!

Ethan and Emily’s party was helped by the online invitations that they had sent out. They could track RSVPs easily and had no problems in finding out how many guests they will have. You can try it too!

The internet has more than one blessing to offer us. For people with low social skills, like Steve, online communication is exactly what the doctor ordered. Steve is only comfortable in close knit friend circles. When he has to interact with strangers, he finds it tough. On the other hand, he’s very comfortable sharing his thoughts and ideas with netizens. The veil of anonymity is like a reassuring cloak to him. It offers him a voice that he otherwise lacks.

Steve often takes part in discussions and conversations with fellow geeks. They have anonymous identities and don’t know each other or even their real names. Steve finds immense joy in these interactions. “These are the only times when I can voice my opinions without being judged,” Steve told me. That is a very valid point if you consider how we edit what we actually want to say because we are worried how people might take it.

Romantic ideas may push you to believe that making a proposal in public is a very wise idea. But you have to be aware of the dangers of such an act before you commit one. A serious fallout can happen if you and your love are not on the same wavelength. When you propose, the unexpected surprise can bring about a reaction that you may not have bargained for. If things don’t turn out the way you planned it, there will be much embarrassment for you and your sweetheart.

A colleague of mine recently found this out to his horror. He was dating a girl who was not really interested in anything long-term. This guy had illusionary ideas about the whole thing. He heard things that were not said and saw things that were just not there. When he finally decided to pop the question in the middle of a crowded restaurant with all eyes on him, his lady love simply stomped off! I can bet my right arm that either of them will never go to that place again. As obvious, their bond fizzled out as well.

Here’s a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day quote from Adrienne Cook: “St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time – a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic.”