While I won’t accept the ‘late-thirties’ label until next year, 36 feels exceptionally closer to middle age than 35 did. And it (along with current events) has made me take stock of where I am versus where I should be. And if I’m being honest, it’s not just the gap that’s bothering me — it’s how loud everything around that gap has become: Everyone else’s timelines. Everyone else’s milestones. Everyone else’s perfectly curated proof that they are, in fact, doing it right.