Oh wow. This is what I get for leaving town. I can't believe I missed when this was announced.

I'm beyond honored. Writing this essay scared the ever-living shit out of me--more than I thought it would--and if I remember correctly, I sat on it until just before the deadline to send it in and had a fair bit of hesitation. But this is such a great publication. I wouldn't have written it without the prompt and I wouldn't have published it anywhere else. I feel lucky to have this story in such amazing company.

I'm also honored to have that 14-ish minutes of everyone's attention. It's a long piece and I know that's asking a lot from a reader. To everyone who read it: I really appreciate that you took the time.