Hey friends. Just wanted to say thanks for being a part of my life this year. It’s so fucking weird to have friends that aren’t “real” friends but actually in some way sort of are. It’s new! As in in the history of the world new. Think about it: It hasn’t been all that long that we as a species have been able to do this — to see into so many other lives at once and seek to understand them on some level, or just to watch as a spectator as they barely notice. In the big picture, this is all new territory. It is strange and beautiful and scary, but it is nothing if not new. And as much as I grate against the virtual world so often, constantly struggling to find the balance between real and virtual that works for me, I do feel a sense of gratitude for the connections. I want to not take those for granted. I’m truly attempting to understand this new thing in a way that perhaps I haven’t before. So anyway, thanks for hanging out this year. Looking forward to next.

—Ben