Sometimes you just… you know? Like, you’re supposed to be this rock. This professional. Mr. Smith, always ready with a lesson plan, tie straight, talking about… whatever, American history. And that’s fine, that’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always done. Always been that guy, you know, the one who doesn’t talk about his personal life at work. Ever. Like, not a peep about the wife, or the kids, who are grown now, thank god. Or how my mom’s memory is just… gone. And you go to these staff meetings, and everyone’s talking about their weekend, or their vacation, or their damn dog, and I just sit there and nod and smile, and make some comment about the new curriculum or the football team. Because that’s my lane. You stay in your lane. That’s what you do. But lately, it’s just… a lot. Like, a REALLY lot. My dad called me last night, at like 11, freaking out because mom thought it was 1978 and he couldn't get her to go to bed. And then I have to go in the next day, and smile, and pretend I slept great, and then Mrs. Henderson from English is asking about my performance review next month, like, "Oh, Mr. Smith, I’m sure you’ll ace it, you always do!" And you just want to scream, "Do you have ANY idea what’s actually going on?!" But you can’t. You absolutely cannot. Because if I ever let that slip, even a little, the whole façade, you know, it just… crumbles. And then what? Everyone looks at you different. They start to wonder. Is he… okay? Is his home life… weird? And then it’s all over. Your whole image, everything you built, it’s just gone. And then you look at these kids, these teenagers, with all their drama and their feelings, and you think, man, you guys have no idea. No idea how hard it is to just… keep it together. Day in, day out. To pretend everything’s totally normal, totally fine, when inside you’re just… exhausted. And you’re just doing what you’re supposed to do. What’s expected. For like, thirty years. And you wonder if anyone ever looks at *you* and thinks, "He’s just faking it, isn't he?" Or if they just see the tie, and the lesson plans, and the whole… conventional thing. And it’s like, who am I even talking to right now? I mean I don't even — whatever. It’s just… a lot. That’s all. A real lot.