My birthday this year passed by with a whimper, same as the one before (and that one was a milestone – 75). In fact I did celebrate it a tiny bit and I invited one of Joan’s friends because they both like to dance. We went to Peppers and I footed the bill. The food was good and the band played “Happy Birthday” for me. I got a “Birthday Blessing” from my church. There were a couple of greetings via Facebook that gets less every year.

My fault ,as I hardly ever use it. And, apparently I am not alone as Facebook users get less every month as has happened over the past two years,

I cannot remember the last time I ever had a cake. Maybe it was for my 50^th? If it was I paid for it and everything else.

I asked the question “At what age should one stop celebrating birthdays?” over the Internet and that didn’t get much response worth publishing.

One of the better ones was from Shrava, who lives in India. He said:

“I don’t find any reason for celebrating birthday. Just because group of people around you start wishing, you feel happy. But if you look at it from closer whats your role in it. You find it absolute Nothing.

“Someone might say that pray to God as you are alive and thank him for whatever you have. To those, one particular spermatozoa, on one particular day, makes a child. Like every other creature on this earth are born in the same way, so what’s so special and whats your role in it. A big zero.

“So if the question is, why there should be a role in every celebration ? To that, because most of the people are just exist like micro-organisms , they don’t live their life and for them as they dint achieve anything in their lives, they have an occasiona to celebrate and to feel something special on that one particular day.

“So, conclusion is that, no need to celebrate your own birthday as you dint have any role in it. Rather, do celebrate the day which you have done and felt you have achieved something tremendous in your life that might not benefit others. At least, if you are celebrating some other persons birthday is somewhat ok, because that person has some role in your life and you feel happy being with that person.But not your own birthday.”

Another one from Netmums said:

“Revealed: the age when we stop celebrating our own birthdays

“Birthdays are to be celebrated. Presents, cake, maybe a party or a night out.

“But as we get older we give up celebrating our own birthday altogether.

“Brits stop celebrating their birthday at the age of 31, a study has revealed.

“After years of marking the day with parties and nights out, worries about getting ‘too old’ and simply ‘not being bothered’ anymore mean we stop making a big effort to celebrate as soon as we get into our “thirties.

“Following their 31st birthday, many admit they only really celebrate the milestone birthdays of 40, 50, and 60, with almost half admitting they’ve had a birthday which has passed them by completely because they barely acknowledged it.”

There. I’m not alone. Birthdays pass by after you reach thirty. I’ll settle for the church blessing I received today.

PS. My wife sent me a birthday card – actually two. She forgot she had already bought me one. And another from a dear “old” friend from England. Plus two e-cards.

Thank you.