Two Years of TAV

Today marks two years since I started blogging daily. Seven hundred and thirty days later, this practice has strengthened my focus toward bettering the world.

It can be difficult to consider what’s beyond the bubble of our personal lives; but such a perspective is necessary to truly change the world. I am convinced we can influence our future as a species and as a planet: we can prosper.

On the largest of scales, we are singularly unique as far as we know. Why not make the most of this existence, this captivating and amazing experience we call life. 

Learning Power

I watch my niece learning how to read and it reinforces education as the most important thing in our world. Learning is the lifeblood of our species.

How fundamental is reading to our everyday livelihood, the foundation upon we’ve built everything else? When’s the last time you have dedicated yourself to learning something on a daily basis over the span of years?

Continuous education is the path forward, so that we may continue to adapt no matter our individual circumstances. Our most important characteristic must be honed to be our most powerful asset. 

Political Scene Seeing

As I’ve witnessed the “Build Back Better” deal disaster, I’ve wondered: what skills are required to be a congressman or congresswoman? How prominently do negotiation skills or strategy feature within the congressional repertoire compared to marketing or public speaking?

But then I recognize that regardless of the answers to those questions, the underlying cause to our current state of affairs, not the more visible symptoms, is our incentive structure within the system. At the end of the day, elected officials and public office are not incentivized to vehemently pursue the populations’ best interests.

It is these core building blocks of campaign finance reform, lobbying laws, and governmental privileges that must be reformed. As our democracy exists today, we still yet hold the power to change these systems, to adapt them to the will and benefit of all people…can we see that, and will we act?

Travel Window

I’ve blogged before about the rush of trip planning, and how it can be almost as alluring in the moment as the travel itself. But if that were the case, would we do it without the reward of adventure after?

I’m excited to do some more traveling before the year is up. Exploring new places rejuvenates my outlook in life and fuels my sense of wonder and appreciation for the universe, how amazing this all is. 

When we travel we exit our comfort zone and enter a new dimension, one rarely accessed in the modern first world. We get a glimpse through the window to true life, and all its splendor.

A Grandpa’s Wisdom

Today I reflect on the time I spent with my Grandpa and how he impacted my life. Beyond being thankful for my time with him, I appreciate how much I learned from him at such a young age. 

I’ve always been interested in socioecopolitical forces, and how the intersection of the three determine the effervescent circumstances of our society. I wonder how much I can attribute that to my talks with my grandfather, who would sit with me at the table, long after dinner, when I was a teenager.

He would challenge me to consider the other and to think critically, but most importantly, he would listen. A grandparents’ tutelage can expand one’s awareness capacity in life; thank you Grandpa, for shaping mine. You passed down something meaningful to me, and I love you.

Institutional Try

What if we gave every high school graduate ten thousand dollars? Coupled with a Civics or citizenship curriculum, it could be highly encouraged to spend the sum on one of two things: school, or starting a business. 

Perhaps a wild idea compared to our more common standards, such a program could incentivize two of the most powerful ways to build wealth. After all, higher education and entrepreneurship present two core pathways for a better financial future, besides the stock market and home ownership. 

This isn’t the only option, but it’s a new idea that has the potential to teach more, to promote greater social mobility. Is that not one of the primary tenets of our economic and political system?

To Open Up

I’ve gone through periods of my adult life in which I’ve been more or less healthy, more driven or more chill, and many other cycles through spectrums. I find myself now in pattern of being less open. 

I wonder if some of it can be attributed to the pandemic, and just being more isolated. But regardless of factors, I’ve recognized it has occurred, and I want to get back on track. 

Openness to the new and unfamiliar enables one to widen their life experience, and as the world opens up, I want to as well. There is so much to discover outside our internal realm of comfort—it’s time to embrace and explore!

Pandemic Perspective

It’s very likely the pandemic will permanently change us. Upon considering other global events like 9/11 and the World Wars, it would be shocking if it didn’t. 

If we recognize the likelihood of this fact, we can get in front of it, and use the unique perspective we momentarily hold to change the world for the better. An improved life experience for the masses is possible if we leverage the pandemic to re-prioritize.

Capitalism has largely brought better lives for billions, but some checks and controls, as made obvious by present circumstances, can create more equity. How will we respond to this crisis, how will we build from here?

Modern Monkeys

The modern world is simply an amazing environment, when you consider it. There are millions of us living in all types of places, completely disconnected from our food, using a currency for transactions. 

It’s so far removed from our original animalistic state. We don’t hunt or gather to survive, are never far from shelter, and spend exorbitant amounts of time looking at pieces of glass and plastic. 

And we’re the only ones that do it, on this planet surrounded by all this other life, perhaps in the solar system and even the galaxy. What do we want to be, and what to we want to do?

Lots Going On

There’s a lot going on in many of the major countries in the world. I realized that today when reflecting on some of China’s recent policies and comparing them to all that’s happening in the US.

Even when asking someone from a reasonably well governed country in Scandinavia, they’ll reply that their government and nation has many problems. The intricate societal structures we have created seem to struggle to keep up with our population’s problems with organizing. 

The only way it gets better is if more people take a vested interest. It requires caring about what is happening elsewhere on the planet, both in distance and time—for those of us subsisting beyond pure survival, will we act?

Seeing the Earth

What would happen if we built a space station exclusively for tourism, and we sent every fifth grader up on a field trip to view the Earth? Money aside, would that alone change the world?

I imagine it would, that it would unite humanity to one singular purpose: improving our home, and life on it, as much as possible. And engaging in such a thought experiment gives me hope, despite all the negativity in the world. 

We are more similar than we are different, and from the grandest perspective, we all want the same things. If we return to the Earth, we can achieve such synergy and harmony. 

History and Now

How connected are we to the history that enabled us? Watching Hamilton tonight sparked such a discussion thread in my head. 

We inherit luxurious circumstances built by chance and brilliance, can we deny that? If we put our current struggles within the context of humanity’s overall fight, maybe we can resolve some of them. 

What can we do? It’s a question we all must ask ourselves, for ourselves, and for our future. 

Recognition Today

There are so many different perspectives out there; a few doors down, the next city over, across the continent or the ocean. When’s the last time I’ve interacted with folks who have those opinions?

It’s an honest question that we should each ask ourselves, given what we know about, well.. everything. It all really comes down to a simple question: who do we want to be?

We tend to focus on ourselves, and that’s fine in a sense… but who do we want to be? What heights can we achieve, what is utterly, in the true sense of the word, possible… it’s for us to decide. 

To Question Work

What are the weekends for? I think it’s a question worth asking, as the nature of “work” has changed as our society and technology have evolved. 

With more wealth and more leisure time afforded to more people, we seem to have sunken into the 5 day, 40 hour workweek, at least in the United States. But people often fail to realize these numbers are not law; in fact they were fought for over generations. 

So where do we find ourselves now, in a global economy built around growth? How much do we contribute true value, and how much should we enjoy the fruits of our efforts?

Coming Travels

I enjoyed a pretty nice little Saturday, reference intended, in that I planned some trips over the next year. Besides being privileged enough to do that, I was appreciative of the state of the world improving enough to travel. 

There is so much adventure out in the world, and it’s been lying there undiscovered throughout this pandemic. As more people across the globe have accumulated more wealth, scenic spots have become more sought out. 

The pandemic changed that temporarily, but we are a curious species, and it was only a matter of time before visits resumed. To travel is to seek life’s rhythm, so that we may match our own. 

Anticipating Things

On this planet at least, we are the leaders in anticipation. There are no other animals that can predict future actions the way we can. 

Before we organize a parade for ourselves, we should analyze the implications of this. Is our ability really that substantial, and if so how can we leverage it?

If we consider our species’ abilities in this sense, we can organize better and accomplish priorities. How special are we, and how special do we want to be? 

Change Together

We unconsciously adapt to our environmental circumstances, which can make it hard to see self change. But sometimes you wake up one day and can’t believe how different things are, how different you are. 

Channeling this continual change proves to be one of life’s great challenges, and adventures. How we navigate this other world determines our concept of time as well as the results. 

We all share this struggle, this journey, and it can serve as a common experience upon which to rally. We are not alone; we are here on this rock together, and what we decide to do echos through the void. 

One Autumn Morning

Taking the dog for a throw early this morning, I was mesmerized by the sky and the inclement seasonal changes. The air was crisp and light, and you could literally see the winds of change high above, moving the light of the morning. 

It struck me, standing in that open field surrounded by tall trees, my feet treading dew and my breath visible before me, how incredibly beautiful a morning can be. Even an “ordinary” one becomes magnificent in the still early hours, away from technology, as the Earth slowly rotates toward the sun. 

We face problems and contemplate solutions and live and die on this Earth, and all the while it provides the most splendid home we could ask for. As we head into Autumn with yet another opportunity to witness this magical seasonal change, let us remember to treasure our home. 

Dogs and Monkeys

I grew up around dogs, and so never really questioned our domestication of other animals. When you zoom out to somewhere else in our solar system, it is kind of a wild concept. 

Because at the end of the day, we are upright monkeys with oddly shaped heads. We see ourselves as normal, but taken from this far off vantage point, we are nothing short of extraordinary. 

Which is why we must consider the big picture, the one hundred million mile view. Such perspective unlocks new potential, collaboration, and wonder; to see is to be. 

Public Concept

I realized today there is no such thing as a public sector. It’s all political; public institutions are simply those backed by power. 

We call something public when a large number of people, or enough powerful people, participate in the idea of something. Is California’s public education system public to people in Sudan?

We are tribal creatures living in a political world, still figuring out how to organize. What can we make public for all?