Ever find your eyes wandering to the “Today’s Birthdays” feature of the daily newspaper — only to reaffirm that you’ve never heard of most of those mentioned? The latest ingenue or rapper isn’t part of your frame of reference.
Did you really need yet another reminder that when it comes to the culture of the mainstream, you’re stuck in a societal retention pond?
But then there was, well, validation the other day. May 28 apparently yielded only two birthdays of general public note. Singer Gladys Knight might be Pip-less, but she’s still going strong at 59. Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West turned 65. It’s still hard to accept “Zeke from Cabin Creek (WV)” qualifying for Social Security, but I can still see him sticking a long jumper any time, any place.