“Alright,” she said, taking a breath. In the dark, there was only her voice, soft and assured. “Here’s your rebase message: You grew up beloved by all of your family except for the selfish ones who ran off for their own purposes. Your grandparents were hurt by your parents’ leaving, but they will never stop thanking the day they were left with you. They delighted in how quickly you learned everything and how you helped them embrace modern technology in a way that made all their friends jealous. Whenever they pulled out a phone and sent off a text message, their friends would exclaim, ‘Wow, you know how to use one of those doohickeys?’ and they would say, prouder than any parent, ‘Yes! My granddaughter makes sure we keep up to date and that we are protected from malware.’ It was no surprise to them when you got into one of the best colleges in the country and studied computer science, something you’ve always had a natural inclination toward. You didn’t have many friends because your concerns didn’t align with most high schoolers, who cared only about popularity while you cared about your family.

“In college you found people you could call your friends all while continuing to make your grandparents proud. Technology is still something you love, and you can’t wait to work in a burgeoning field where you can quickly make a difference. You want to use your skills to help. You already have, by using your project to reunite your grandmother with her cousin. You have always been about help and support, first to your grandparents, then to your friends. And your friends, even if there may not be many, are so grateful.

“But wait, there’s more!” she exclaimed when I tried to interrupt her. “You understand the value of stories, and maybe that is because it is in your very blood. You come from a long line of pencil makers, and though nobody in the family makes pencils anymore, you have taken over the mantle in some way. Isn’t technology—typing, writing, blogging—the new pencil?”

“That’s a bit of a stretch,” I finally managed to interrupt.

“I’m still going! Tech is a means to connect with others, and you did not want your grandparents to be left behind. You are the latest in a series of story preservers and sharers and enablers, and you are carrying that on whether you know it or not. Does that scare you?”

I sighed.