I suppose somewhere along the line, for better or worse, you take a second, drag the comb across your head, look up into the mirror, wipe away the condensation and notice, not entirely surprised, that you've changed. It's not always charcoal and weeds, sometimes just the sight of your still-warm face is the best morning news you've gotten in a while. I can't say that's a worthy baseline, just that, you could wake up dead, you know?