become personally involved.”
“That doesn’t sound like language anyone close to me would use.”
“It sounded exactly like language I believed someone close to you might use.”
That hurt because it was true.
Back then my life had been filled with people who turned human complications into neutral phrases.
Personal situation.
Distraction.
Reputational concern.
Scheduling conflict.
I had rewarded people for removing friction from my life.
Perhaps someone had simply taken that philosophy farther than I intended.
“Did he ask for anything?”
“No.”
“Money?”
“No.”
“Confidentiality?”
“No.”
“That’s strange.”
“I
