I know that its a sweet gesture, but every time people sing it to me, I freeze up and awkwardly smile just waiting for it to end. I dont know where to look, what to do with my hands. Maybe its stage fright but it just feels… uncomfortable.
Anyone else relate ?
Comments
I do believe it to be the worst type of torture invented. It’s excruciating. Birthday handshakes are preferable.
I feel the exact same, I cringe & every birthday all I ask for is not to have a birthday cake.
Oh same, I pretty much hate any and all occasions where I’m the center of attention in a group setting. Makes me want to crawl out of my own skin.
The awkwardness of it, and the fact that it’s focused on you and you alone.
There’s basically no other situation where a group of people will come out and sing a song specifically for you.
Spotlight on you..your 15 minutes of fame.
it feels isolating
maybe you just not enjoy attention focused on yourself
It’s not me they’re singing for.
It’s US!
Yeah I hate that, if your not a person that loves being centre of attention I feel like it can be quite intimidating 😆
You’re not alone I hate it too
The awkwardness of it all, not knowing where to look, how to act?? So uncomfortable
Same here. Once when I was about 7 or 8 I was sung to in a restaurant and after they finished I went to the bathroom and cried for 10 minutes.
I do not embaras easily – never have. But that stupid happy birthday song is the one thing that I absolutely cannot stand. At this point in my life (mid-40s) almost everyone connected to me knows it’s something I detest and they won’t sing it.
I even get flustered when singing the song to other people. I have no idea why. But I sympathize OP.
I feel ya!
Birthday in a restaurant and everyone starts singing at you is terribly embarrassing. Especially when staff join in.
I’m fairly sure that this is a common feeling.
It’s not ungratefulness or antisocial behavior, it’s just that some people don’t feel comfortable being the center of attention, especially when there’s no clear “role” to play. It’s not like giving a speech or blowing out candles it’s just… standing there while people sing at you.
It’s super embarrassing and awkward. I don’t like being part of it in anyway, even if I’m not the one being spotlighted. I loathe everything about it.
I think most people don’t love it but tolerate it, a smaller number of people hate it, and an even smaller number of people love it. And those are the people who make sure this horrific tradition never dies.
I know a lot of people don’t like it, but yeah, for those of us who have urges to run out and cry or have an immediate panic attack, it’s not funny or cute to force it on us just because that’s what “normal” people at birthdays do.
I have had such huge rage outbursts about similar things as a teenager that my family knows better. But now I’m an adult with a job and coworkers who didn’t know me as a teenager and I can no longer get away with that, so I pretend to celebrate “birthday week” by taking off an entire damn week around my birthday JUST so no one will come at me with a cake and candles. lol.