Reliving those years upon years you spent around the same people, and you leave—finally, phew—wanting to return different, break from the mold, feel like you’ve done something extraordinary. It’s the reminder to pay attention to those life-shifting moments. A performance of avoiding death, until it’s brimming and overwhelmingly real. The empathy we grew and fostered during COVID relapses—were we the best versions of ourselves during the most difficult times? We revert to this dark ritual that was activated when each of us first ached. “The Age of Bad Choices Seeking Their Consequences. The Comeuppance…”