Bob Greene: There's something very special about this temporal landmark of a birthday. He says he didn't know it was coming when his family threw him a surprise party. The writer admits to being overwhelmed by the attention and retreats for several minutes. "It took me a good three to five minutes, I would say," writes Greene.
Birthdays! Why do Americans prefer Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July to theirs? Why do they make Stephen think of molasses and chicken feed? And is “Happy Birthday” the worst song ever written?