The Synthetic Experience: A Personal Essay on Why Events Look Better Than Ever—But Feel Worse

I’ve been attending events—multiple times a week, nearly every week—since I was 21. Do the math: three events a week, 48 weeks a year, for over five decades. That’s more than 7,000 gatherings, not including the ones I can’t remember—or the ones I wish I could. I’ve spent more time in ballrooms than most florists. I’ve made entrances in black tie so ofte…