So, they've gone and canceled Law & Order. If it had gone one more season it would have become the longest-running primetime TV drama in history, at twenty-one years. That's a long time. Let's think about that for a moment.

Nearly twenty years of Law & Order. So someone who's a freshman (or a young sophomore) in college has never known a world without new episodes of Law & Order. The chung-chunggg sounded the day they were born. When they lost their first tooth, Law & Order was on. When this kid rode their bicycle for the first time, Law & Order was on. When they headed off to middle school, and tried their first cigarette, had their first kiss, Law & Order was on. They made friends, lost friends, Law & Order was on. They fell in first love, drove a car, broke a curfew, said goodbye to the family dog, Law & Order was on. This kid studied for SATs, Law & Order was on. Graduated from high school, Law & Order was on. Packed up their childhood bedroom to move to college, Law & Order was on. Arrived on campus, met a roommate, got drunk for the first time, Law & Order was on. A life has managed to get that far, do all those things, grow all those years, in the time that Law & Order was on. That's a long time. T.S. Eliot measured out his life in coffee spoons. This kid could have done so in Manhattan murder mysteries. And now it's over.

So. Just think about that. And then go watch SVU. Or, shudder, Criminal Intent.