A Wake-Up Call In The Glow of a Screen

Just the other night, as I was lost in the endless scroll of my phone, something small but significant happened. My daughter, Barbie in hand, looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes. “Daddy, will you play with me?”

There I was, caught in the digital black hole, and there she was, wanting a bit of time with her dad. That’s when I felt a rush of tears flood down my cheeks.

I’ve been a Marine for ten years, went through some tough times, and now, as a single dad, I thought I’d seen it all. But this? This was a new kind of challenge.

It didn’t matter how tired I was after a long day. All that mattered was being there for my daughter, truly present in a world constantly pulling us away from distractions.

I realized how these little escapes — the mindless scrolling and late-night TV binges — were my way of seeking comfort. Harmless, sure. But these things were stealing moments from me. Moments that matter.

We all check out from time to time. We tell ourselves that we’ll be happy when we get that next thing, reach that next goal. We think these little things don’t matter. But that’s all bullshit.

We’re so busy looking ahead that we miss the life happening right before us. That’s what I’ve been doing — missing out on life and seeing the true point, like…