For The Record- 03. January. 2026
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Time perception
11 min read
The article extensively discusses how time feels 'squishy' in middle age, with 18 months feeling like both next weekend and a decade ago. This Wikipedia article explores the psychology and neuroscience behind why time seems to accelerate as we age.
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Attention economy
13 min read
The author explicitly references Cal Newport's critique of the 'digital attention economy' and short-form video platforms. This article explains the economic and psychological frameworks behind how platforms compete for human attention.
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The Church (band)
13 min read
The author mentions seeing The Church perform as a significant memory marker. This Australian rock band has a rich 40+ year history that would provide interesting context for music-focused readers.
The first time I transferred to Madison was in July of ’99. As the secretary gave me the dime tour, I met a bunch of guys I’d never see again, whose pending retirements made this move possible in the first place. As I extended a hand to one guy, he warned me not to get to know him too much. He was a nice guy, he said, but he wouldn’t be there much longer. He had retirement in sight and even kept a handwritten countdown taped inside his locker.
That countdown became a running inside joke between us, with me betting him a gift card that I’d retire first. Ten years later, he and his wife enjoyed a trip to Texas Roadhouse on my dime. Life’s funny that way.
I’m now in the spot he was in (sorta). If all goes to plan, I have a little over two years left—689 days as of this writing. That’s aspirational more than anything, and just as hard to fathom as the idea that that July day was almost 27 years ago. This date also lines up with a few other life events: a milestone service anniversary (God, I’m old) and my youngest graduating (how did we get here?!). His countdown is 523 days, or roughly a year and a half. It might as well be 2057, as abstract as it seems. It all feels right around the corner and a lifetime away. Both are true.
My calendar tells me that a year and a half ago, I was lucky enough to finally see The Church and Afghan Whigs play. My mind tells me it’s been a decade. Around that same time, that same kid was playing in one of his first rugby tournaments.
The strangest thing about being middle-aged is how squishy time has become. I used to roll my eyes when people said it only gets faster. Turns out they were right. Why that guy told me he’d be gone soon makes sense now, too. Eighteen months? Twenty-four? Those will be here next weekend—or feel like it anyway. Eighteen months ago, on the other hand, might as well have been 1992 in my mind’s eye.
My point here is this: 2025 felt like it would take forever, and as hard as it fought to prove us right, it was gone before we knew it.
I have no idea what will happen
...This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.