Another Day Older and Deeper Birthdays are funny things. The more you have, the older you are--older and closer to death. I don't think so much about death. I do think about being older. Older, but not necessarily wiser. Wise enough to realize how little I knew, and how little I know now, even though I know more than I did. So birthdays are about mortality and ignorance. And the only thing you know for sure is that you'll die a little wiser than when you were born, but not as wise had you lived another day. All that to say, there's no escaping that Thanatos is inherent in every birthday, so surround yourself with the people who make your life rich and full and hope that you can do it all again next year. Happy birthday to me!