I recently received an unsolicited email asking me if I knew what the metaverse is.

I took the message to mean that I should know, but I had no idea. It felt like the beginning of my first piano lesson when Miss Willrodt asked if she could put my index finger on the middle C key.

Wait, I thought. “It is my first lesson. What kind of question is that?”

He wanted to give her an intelligent answer, something like, “If I knew stuff like that, why would I come here for lessons?” He was a shy, slightly backward kid, just starting third grade. Still, he knew better than to open his mouth. I sat on the hard piano bench next to Miss Willrodt and stared at the keyboard until she took my hand and placed my index finger firmly on one of the keys.

Because I…