I’ve always wished people could resist asking each other what they do for a living in first meetings, but I understand the need for a shortcut to connection. Now I learn that for Celeste, the question shuts down any hope of connection, and my answer seems to make most people uncomfortable. People respond by saying, “Lucky you, Hugh,” as though I’m not there. They say, “Don’t you miss working?” One woman even wonders aloud how much money Hugh has to make to make such a lifestyle affordable.
