You do not need to PR yourself to death. You do not need to bravely manage your “brand.” You do not need to manipulate your image. You are not your portfolio or your resume. You are not what people whisper behind your back or scream in your face. You are not your job title, your home or your car or your city. You are a citizen of the world, a human in the trenches of a battle called Earth which we all individually lose in death but collectively win as we make progress beyond our reptilian brains and into the spiritual realm.
I exhale and I smile, on my balcony in between drags of a Camel Crush. I’d do it all differently next time, but I wouldn’t have changed what’s already done. My heart is broken, but it’s still beating — louder than ever. And for the first time in as far bac…