From the play The Busy World is Hushed

The mother is talking to her 20something son about his life choices

“From here on out, everything is written in ink”

I’ve had that conversation before…I have had it in my head and I had it with a friend once.

I told him “You wear your freedom like it’s a jean jacket, like it can handle all kinds of rough treatment. I wear mine like a prom dress, that it is so delicate. I have to keep it clean and fresh.”

and he just looked confused. He didn’t know that freedom had consequences.

Which is what that means, you know? “…written in ink…”

“on your permanent record”

reversion
perversion
conversion
inversion

All the versions end up in the final draft of your life.

But that only matters if someone is reading the record.