I just closed out of the work chat for the fifth time tonight. It’s 2 AM. Everyone else is still in there, tossing ideas around for the new campaign. Like, real-time, rapid-fire stuff that would usually make my brain buzz, but tonight it just feels... empty. Or maybe I feel empty. It’s always the same people. The younger ones. The ones who just graduated, still wired for all-nighters, all that raw, unfiltered enthusiasm. They’re joking, using inside memes I don’t even understand, and then BAM—a brilliant idea pops out of nowhere. And I’m just... watching. My last message was hours ago, some practical, logistical point that probably killed the vibe. I felt it even as I typed it. And then the floodgates opened again, without me. Like I’m an asterisk, or a relic. ANCIENT. And the worst part? I’m supposed to be the manager. I’m supposed to be leading these brainstorms. But lately, I feel like I’m standing on the outside looking in, while they’re all inside, bonding and creating and just generally thriving in a way I don’t recognize anymore. I used to be that person. I used to be the one who could pull an all-nighter and still come up with killer taglines before dawn. Now I just want to SLEEP. And it makes me so mad—at them for being so damn young and energetic, and at myself for not being able to keep up. This whole gig thing is great for flexibility, but it also means I’m always hustling, always available, always trying to prove I’m not obsolete. But tonight, I just feel obsolete. I feel like I’m fading.