These posts about Reddit’s continuing slide are like the news my elderly mother gives when yet another one of her friends dies: sad, but what you gonna do?

Every conversation my mother and grandmother had for the last 10 years of my grandmother’s life (just change the name):

Grandmother: “Do you remember Sue Smith?” Mom: “I don’t think so.” Grandmother: “ Yes you do, Sue Smith.” Mom: “Sue Smith? Where would I know her from?” Grandmother: “ She lived two houses down from us over on Suwannee Street.” Mom: “I don’t remember a Sue Smith from the neighborhood.” Grandmother: “She was Sue Jones before she got married.” Mom: “OH Sue Jones! Yeah I remember her!” Grandmother: “Well she died.”

You reminded me of something… There was this comedian in the 90s. Can’t remember who. But he had this routine about his mother-

“Guess who died today?”

“Mom…”

“Guess who died today?”

“Mom, I’m eating breakfast.”

“Guess who died today?”

“I don’t know… grandma?”

“Yeah, but which one?”