On May 19, 2004, I was a high school kid pacing breathlessly around my room while I watched the Minnesota Timberwolves play the Sacramento Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Every shot, every rebound, and every loose ball would make me freeze up or release an erratic shriek of joy. Then the buzzer sounded, Kevin Garnett jumped up on the scorer’s table, and I stood there levitating in the room.
On May 19, 2024, there is nothing similar about my life now. I’m an adult with two kids and a mortgage. I’ve had all the joy and grief that comes with two decades of living.