Gail: Let’s talk about something else, please. I just finished reading “The Beauty of Dusk,” a new book by our colleague Frank Bruni. Have you had a chance to read it yet?Bret: An extraordinary, moving and beautifully written book. As many of our readers probably know, Frank lost much of his sight about five years ago on account of a rare stroke that blurred vision in one eye and that could still strike the other. Frank being Frank, the experience only helped open his eyes to the stories of other people dealing quietly with grief, disability, chronic illness and inner torment — often despite professional success or otherwise placid exteriors.Gail: It’s terrific, really, for anybody who wants to deal with mortality.Bret: One of the subjects Frank examines is mental health. It seems particularly timely as we enter the third year of Covid-land. There are so many people who may not have gotten ill with the virus, but who have nonetheless cracked under the strain of self-isolation, social distancing, school closures and all the other restrictions. I think it’s hit the elderly especially hard, because they’re at such greater risk if they get sick. But it has also been devastating for kids in schools who were forced to try to learn remotely or been deprived of the company of friends or otherwise had their personal development stunted.How do you think people will remember the pandemic 50 years from now?Gail: Wow, it depends on whether this happens again. If — fingers crossed — this is an experience everybody can look back on as a once-in-a-lifetime thing, we’ll probably all be reacting to future crises by saying “Well, yeah, this is bad but remember Covid …”Bret: I suspect there will be tens of millions of people who will be bearing psychological scars for the rest of their lives.Gail: And do you think something like this will happen again?Bret: Maybe something worse. If it turns out that Covid-19 was the result of some kind of lab accident involving “gain-of-function” research, it’s entirely possible to imagine a similar catastrophe being unleashed, even on purpose.But even if that theory doesn’t pan out and we aren’t hit by another pandemic, I think we’ve been living in the Age of the Unthinkable, from 9/11 to the Trumpastrophe to what might very soon be a calamitous war in Europe. Worse may come. Any contenders?