To the Old Man in the Cowboy Costume
February 11, 2026 at 10:43PMIn this subtle and moving essay at Off Assignment, J.Y. Lee reflects on the life of his father, who is barely getting by and living alone in America. In this “letter to a stranger,” Lee considers the similarities and differences that exist between generations, regardless of their geographical and emotional distance.
A part of me suspects my restlessness stems from you—a fear of ending up like you. An ever-present, existential anxiety that if I don’t push hard enough, move fast enough, I won’t be able to outrun you. That the inevitable will catch up—the sorrow, the sadness, the ability to somehow so spectacularly mess up my own life—and I’ll wind up in your shoes, in a cage of my own making, too.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2026/02/11/to-the-old-man-in-the-cowboy-costume/
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