Another birthday will arrive next Tuesday, and I’m thinking, thanks for another year on planet Earth, no matter how screwed up it may seem. I’m sure 600 years ago, when approximately 40 percent of babies never reached their first birthday, people were thinking the same thing: the world is a mess. Second verse, same as the first.I’m reminded of that quote by the great British Actress Helen Mirren: “I think getting older is a privilege. It’s not something to be feared. It’s something to be embraced.”Amen, Helen. That reminds me of the oldest friend I had, dating back to seventh ...