I see you over there on your computer, looking at Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. I see you staring at distraction. I see that you are getting me through my day of constant negative life moments smacking me in the face. I see you. And I thank you.

Every single day we write about atrocity, catastrophe, calamity and just plain heartbreaking reality. I don’t have a choice because this is what I signed up for. It’s so rewarding, so achingly painful. The major storm that takes homes and lives, the fires that decimate entire neighborhoods, the financial meltdowns of entire companies and the jobs lost and the lives of babies taken too soon. Those are the worst, but I don’t have time to mourn lives lost so the latest distraction is my radical transformation.

If I can peak into the lives of other people that are on vacation, doing their fitness routine, taking me on their video trip to safari, I’m all in, so call me shallow. I will do the same for you (really my family across the country, but who’s keeping track?) or I would crumble into a mess on the floor of my studio. I’m thankful for the brilliant app writers, software developers and eyes-buggin’ out tech geeks for their creations. Seeing my little nephews across the country on Snapchat and people I’ve never met in countries I’ve never been to. I’m not gaming or taking away from the work I must do, I’m taking a mental health momentary holiday. So don’t judge me.

I see you. And I thank you.