Would you do it anyway?

From this month, a year ago.

I originally published this essay on September 23, 2022.

I, like most people, have spent most of my life doing things because I was supposed to, or had to, or had come to a natural point in my life where that was just the thing you did. I played basketball in high school because what else were you supposed to do when you were a 6' at 13, because everyone expected it, anyway. I chose journalism as my major in college because it involved writing, but also seemed like something that could lead to a "real job." I accepted said "real job" and moved to New York less than a month after graduation because, well, who wouldn't? I now write stories about the best jeans to buy and the cutest layered necklaces and the most popular storage containers on the market because it pays the bills and it's something that requires less of me than every other aspect of my job. But also, if I'm being honest, because it is a job that feels more "legitimate" to people than other aspects of how I make money, and …