I asked Walter what inspired him. The 94-year-old acquaintance answered, “I want to remain relevant to myself.” He reflected that for much of his life, he was worried about keeping up with popular social trends and political beliefs. As Walter grew older, he realized that he was struggling to remain relevant to people who had only a passing interest or no interest in him as a whole person. He had been trying to keep up appearances like Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray. The only difference is that Walter does not have a portrait of his real self hidden inside his attic.

During Walter’s pause in speaking, I glanced around his nursing home room and noticed a few framed photos of his friends. There was a bulletin board that displayed a few homey, pithy quotes. There was one in particular that caught my eye: “Every story I create, creates me. I write…