How to Embrace Getting Older on Your Birthday

TL;DR

Accepting your age becomes easier when you stop measuring yourself only by unfinished goals and recognize how far you have already come. On his thirty-seventh birthday, Theo Von reflects on childhood fears, past living conditions, friendship, comedy work, and simple celebrations, finding gratitude in personal growth, memorable encounters, and a meal shared with neighbors.

Transcript

What's up you little gristle whistlers, huh? You alive, dude? Knock, knock. Who's there? Hopefully you. How you living, man? You believe in ghosts, man? You believe in ghosts? Do ghosts believe in you though? That's the question. Have you done enough in your life for ghosts to believe in you? You ever accidentally urinate on your ex-girlfriend, bro... Read More

Key Insights

• Aging is presented as easier to accept when personal worth is not measured exclusively against unfinished ambitions. Theo admits that he previously hid his age because he felt inferior about his accomplishments, but he tries to embrace being thirty-seven and acknowledge his current place in life.
• Childhood fear shaped Theo's unusual nighttime behavior. He says he was frightened by darkness, hidden threats, and dangerous neighborhood animals, leading him to stand on his bed and urinate around it because he believed nearby animals would avoid an area marked by another animal.
• Birthday gratitude can come from recognizing basic human growth. Theo counters feelings of inadequacy by remembering that he began as a sperm and became a six-foot adult with hands and arms, using physical development as a humorous but sincere measure of remarkable progress.
• Simple social experiences made Theo's birthday feel joyful. He ate breakfast with a friend and the friend's children, rode motorized bicycles through Venice with friends, and finished the day with a meal prepared by neighbors who also allowed him to invite another guest.
• Theo's meeting with Charlie Sheen occurred while he was working on the second season of Typical Rick. He found Sheen smoking near wardrobe, joined him for a cigarette, discussed a Michael Landon shirt, and came away impressed by Sheen's energy, sweetness, charisma, and presence.
• A Michael Landon shirt prompted Charlie Sheen to share a rehabilitation story. According to Theo's retelling, Sheen said he once left a rehabilitation facility with one of Landon's sons after inviting him to go out and party for the weekend.
• Early life in Los Angeles involved extremely modest housing. Theo recalls paying one hundred fifty dollars per month to sleep on a large pool raft beneath another man's bed, while sometimes moving into the bed itself whenever the man was away from town.
• Memorable birthdays are defined by unusual people and settings throughout Theo's recollections. His examples include a party at Perry Farrell's house, a surprise party organized by an ex-girlfriend, and a childhood roller-rink celebration attended by a pleasant boy whom nobody present appeared to know.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can someone feel better about getting older on a birthday?

Feeling better about getting older can begin with accepting your actual age instead of hiding it and judging yourself only by unmet goals. Theo describes feeling ashamed because he believed he had not accomplished enough by thirty-seven. He finds a more encouraging perspective by recognizing how far he has come physically, appreciating his friendships, and noticing the joy in ordinary birthday experiences.

Q: Why did Theo Von previously hide his age?

Theo says he hid his age because he felt shame, uncertainty, and inferiority about what he had accomplished. A birthday made him think about whether he had completed enough by that stage of life. On turning thirty-seven, however, he tries to stop avoiding the truth and embrace where he is after thirty-seven years of existence.

Q: What did Theo Von do for his thirty-seventh birthday?

Theo began the day by having breakfast with a well-off friend and the friend's two children. He later rode motorized bicycles in Venice with Dirt Nasty and other friends, using bikes that could travel about thirty miles per hour. That evening, his neighbors prepared London broil, salad, and coconut ice cream, and let him bring a friend.

Q: How did Theo Von meet Charlie Sheen?

Theo met Charlie Sheen while working on the second season of Typical Rick, a Comedy Central series involving Nick Swardson and Simon Rex. Theo had a small part and encountered Sheen while walking toward wardrobe. Sheen was sitting and smoking a cigarette, so Theo got a cigarette too, joined him, and began a casual conversation.

Q: What did Charlie Sheen tell Theo Von about Michael Landon's family?

Theo was wearing a shirt with Michael Landon's picture and explained that he was a major fan. According to Theo, Charlie Sheen then said he had once been leaving a rehabilitation facility where one of Michael Landon's children was also staying. Sheen reportedly saw the son's door open, invited him to party, and left with him for the weekend.

Q: What childhood fears did Theo Von describe?

Theo says he was frightened by bedtime, darkness, and whatever might be concealed within the darkness. He was particularly afraid of animals because many dangerous and stray animals lived around his neighborhood. Believing animals would not attack near another animal's urine, he sometimes stood on his bed and urinated onto the surrounding floor as a protective boundary.

Q: What was Theo Von's first living arrangement in Los Angeles?

During his early period in Los Angeles, Theo says he lived with two friends and paid one hundred fifty dollars per month to sleep beneath a man's bed. His sleeping surface was a large pool raft positioned under the bed's edge. When the man traveled, Theo sometimes climbed into his bed and slept there, despite not knowing him especially well.

Q: What birthday memories did Theo Von share?

Theo recalls several distinctive celebrations, including a gathering for a one-year-old at Perry Farrell's house, a surprise party arranged by an ex-girlfriend, and a roller-rink birthday from childhood. At the roller rink, a pleasant boy named Demetrius or Dimitri attended, ate, skated, and was collected by his mother even though none of the children or parents knew him.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Theo Von marks his thirty-seventh birthday by confronting his discomfort about aging and his belief that he should have accomplished more. He recalls hiding his age because of shame and uncertainty, then reframes the occasion as an opportunity to accept his present position and appreciate the physical and personal distance he has traveled.

• Birthday memories connect Theo's childhood, early struggles, and current life. He recalls fearing darkness and animals, attending a mysterious roller-rink party guest, and paying one hundred fifty dollars monthly to sleep on a pool raft beneath another man's bed during his first period living in Los Angeles.

• Theo describes a joyful birthday that included breakfast with a well-off friend, riding motorized bicycles in Venice, and eating London broil, salad, and coconut ice cream with neighbors. He also recounts meeting Charlie Sheen while working on the second season of the Comedy Central series Typical Rick.