For the first time in ages, the race to be the East End’s member of the House of Representatives feels like it is about something big — freedom.

Who knew that after Uber and Lyft took over the roads — and helicopter-flight apps took over the sky — that the bays and harbors would be next? That is apparently what the Suffolk Legislature has noticed coming.

Everything is a scam. That is what I tell my friends, family, and co-workers about basically anything that comes in from an unfamiliar number or email address. “Never answer the phone,” I say to them.

No one says “doggie bag” anymore. And who thought we’d have an opportunity to use the word “catafalque” in 2022? Also on my imaginary list of trendy words of the year, I nominate the phrase “out of pocket.” Everyone is saying “out of pocket” right now, but everyone is using it to mean something different.