Mitch & Me

There are certain conversations that begin like most polite afternoon chats—“Good afternoon, how are you?”—and then, almost immediately, take a sharp turn into everything that actually matters. This is one of those conversations.

In this video, a former screenwriter-turned-novelist shares what sounds, at first, like bad news: he’s just been fired from a job he genuinely loved. But instead of a tidy tale of defeat, what unfolds is something far more interesting—and far more honest. It’s a candid, occasionally funny, occasionally uncomfortable meditation on aging, relevance, work, creativity, and the peculiar experience of feeling more capable than ever… while the world quietly starts disagreeing.

There are no easy takeaways here. No inspirational music swelling in the background. Just two smart, seasoned men comparing notes on what happens when the rules change mid-game—and deciding, somewhat stubbornly, to keep playing anyway.

It’s wry. It’s a little raw. It’s unexpectedly hopeful. And, like most worthwhile conversations, it wanders—through careers, identity, indignities, resilience, and even a brief detour into Chicago sports.

In short: it’s what happens when experience refuses to sit quietly in the corner.