Maturity is presented to me as a specter in an opaque environment, a specter who I cannot tell if I’m approaching or moving further from. However, on a stumbling chance, I shift my perspective and see a glimpse of the specter’s direction. One of those chances came in the form of the Chicago Teacher’s Union strike. The purpose of the strike seemed unclear at the time and it was only through retrospection that I discovered its significance...

Talk to anyone, really. It...