My daughter didn’t intend to take a gap year. She intended to go off to university to do all the things that first years do; the good, the bad and the ugly, and then post about it on Instagram after blocking all followers over the age of 30.

I’ve had “Watch Ted Talks” on my to-do list for the past eight years. I cut and paste this directive into my agenda from week to week, year to year, in hopes that this week, this year, I’ll find the time to watch them.