We can change the world.
Fusion of old and new on a river cruise, Suzhou, China, October 2012
Nearly two years later, and we are still figuring out how to manage the pandemic. Many of us are still learning how to live again.
How long will we cower in solitude? How much longer will we let our lack of organization hinder our response and our senses?
Comparatively, we wield formidable technology while fixing up dilapidated institutions with prehistoric biology. We have things to examine, to fix, and to strive for better.
Standing above the miraculous Wave in Utah, April 2021
In a way, a low point can elicit gratitude: it can always be worse right? We could always have less time or more pain.
This experience we call life, within the setting why name the universe, truly is a miracle. Sometimes adversity can make that all the more clear.
If we can reach this perspective without hardship or despair, but by being present in “everyday life,” we can change the world. Will we embrace it?
A fiery sunset in the land of fire, Tierra del Fuego, March 2019
When you appreciate the fact that life is finite, your perspective changes. We all get a certain amount of time, without knowing its full quantity all the while.
What will we do with that time given to us? Will we contribute to the evolution of the universe, or simply exist?
We get to decide if there’s a difference along the way. We can choose to change the world.
The sails of the Sydney Opera House, January 2020
Life can change real fast. It’s so easy to forget our circumstances, and how easily or quickly they might shift.
We can take solace in that this is universal. We are all bound by the moment.
This is why our choices matter, because they are measured against the flow of time. Collectively we must make decisions.
The Umbrian countryside wows from every viewpoint
How quickly our world can become smaller. From the greatest perspective, our tribe is what matters.
Who we spend time with dictates so much of our experience. Tonight I share my time with those who raised me, and whom I grew up with.
I hope, during this holiday season, everyone gets to enjoy such opportunity to spend time with their loved ones. We are who we interact regularly with, which is why we call it “tribe.”
A lioness shelters her cubs ahead of an impending meal, Botswana, August 2011
Politics is difficult to discuss, these days with friends or perceived foe. In some way, maybe the reason is because what we do right now matters.
It matters how we raise our children. It matters how we interact with each other and how we approach our problems, our circumstances, and our lives.
So what are we going to do? Life doesn’t improve on its own; it’s up to us to make our mark on the universe.
Shapes and forms arise from the horizon near Antarctica, March 2019
We all have different risk thresholds, and we need to be open in receiving them. But we also need to ask ourselves when we will take the step back to normal.
This virus is here to stay with us; we will be living with it for the rest of our lives. At what point do we start living again?
I say this as a privileged American citizen, fully vaccinated and surrounded by others who are also well protected. If we consider the bigger picture, it will help inform a greater perspective.
The Summer Palace outside Beijing, China, June 2012
There is both much to celebrate and despair over in the world. We get to choose which we do, and when.
While heartbreak and sadness are part of our human emotional spectrum, experiencing them too often can lead to negativity seeping. At some point, we have to internally rally and determine we are going to apply our learned lessons next time.
It appears we’re at a point right now as a species in which we can do more of that. There is inequity and there is pain, but we can rally past that, and choose to change the world.
Obviously the moonlight in the shadow of the valley, November 2021
It’s an honest person’s guess in terms of search…that could result in anything. Do we understand the creepiness of it all?
One “bad” search and it manipulates what we see. Are we merely followers of commandants of what we’re exposed to?
It’s a tricky question as we explore what seems reasonable and reliable in our accepted worlds. How do we proceed?
Magical Mt. Ftiz Roy from a distance, Patagonia, April 2019
It’s strange that even as we repeat our routines and traditions, they can still seem new. Every Monday is different, every holiday unique.
How else to wade through with a singular and wild experience such as life, if not fully present? It seems we reach our epiphanies when we are the most hyper aware of how wondrous it all can be.
When we dive into this world of possibility together, the future becomes malleable. Our next step forward as a species is to seize this collective effervescence and utilize it to build a better universe.
A glimpse of Civita in the Umbrian countryside, Italy, August 2019
I’m not sure how much we’re learning to be safe together; the news of the new omicron variant is pretty distressing. While we give booster shots to people in rich countries, there are millions around the world who don’t have their first vaccine dose.
I can’t help but believe this pandemic is testing us, our ability to organize and live in harmony. Sometimes it feels as though we’re failing.
Good; we can learn from our mistakes and apply those lessons in the future. We can change the world, we just must live with empathy and awareness.
Trying to admire the near and far in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa, December 2019
Here we are, soaking in the holidays… is this why we get time off? Are there follow-up expeditions with the family for most people?
I hope so in a way, because it’s a special time. It was similar around Spring Festival when I lived in China.
When we commune together, we gather perspective and insight. What have we gained this year?
A large iceberg near the coast of Antarctica, March 2019
As I get older and older, I recognize family time to be the most important. It brings me joy to see the next generation learn and grow.
Is it not the same for everyone else? When will we recognize that we are groups of families, collectively one civilization!
We share this planet with everyone…isn’t it better to enjoy in harmony? If we start from this perspective, we can effect real positive change for all.
Catching sunrise this morning in San Jose
It’s just an ordinary day like all the others. So why do we make a point for Thanksgiving?
Why do we insist on getting together with family? This concept of a “feast” is not that old in our species’ history, it’s something we’ve inherited from work.
We gather because it’s still meaningful. This is what we are, and we can use it to pursue better.
The Great Wall of China through the mist, July 2012
There are many things we don’t understand. It’s essential we all understand and appreciate that.
It will serve us well in our politics and organization. It will enable us to move past our biology and embrace the ideas and institutions we’ve developed.
As we approach the season of gratefulness, we must also remember what we can contribute. We are the solution.
The northern edge of the Grand Canyon, July 2020
I sometimes wonder how we can change our setup in this world. How can we alter the system so that we’re rewarded for improving life for us all?
We have developed various incentive systems throughout history, and stacked them to today’s results. While much better than most of the past, are we not an inflection point, in which we can leverage our position to effect real change?
Perhaps considering this perspective, we can. We are capable of more than we know, and the only limitation is ourselves.
A peek of llama paradise, a spot off the road in the Bolivian high country, April 2019
It’s been too long since I’ve been immersed in a series of novels. Fiction, and reading in general, can become so engrossing that you live between two worlds.
I believe reading is much more active, much more engaging, than simply watching tv. Our brains must create the picture, must propel us through the story, instead of passively taking it in.
Reading is the foundation of education and one of our most primary skills. When we read more, we can expand our knowledge and awareness, and thus our capacity for improving the world.
Swimming through the Great Barrier Reef, January 2020
Hiking a local trail today reminded me how beautiful the valley is. California, and the Bay Area, is a geologically diverse place.
Climbing hills gives us a view of what we’ve risen from, and it was apparent today: ocean and bay and hills and city all were visible. When we return to nature we get back to who we are.
I think it’s as simple as that. As we build a better world together, let’s remember our source.
A rarely visited church across from the town of Spoleto, Italy, September 2019
I often engage in discussions with members of my tribe about the complicated problems we face today. These conversations can be long, but I believe it’s important to regularly hold them and determine how we can best be part, no matter how small, of the solution.
When you observe such discussions on major media outlets, there is very little nuance, and sessions are timed to minutes. Debating with those you don’t know so well can also be tricky, as many worry about being judged or spiraling the conversation into heated argument.
It’s essential we learn to foster such talks with each other, to listen to which we don’t agree with, and practice being open while seeking truth. We have the technology to do great things, we must only learn to hold constructive discourse while pursuing a better future.
Looking out at Table Bay atop Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, September 2010
Our inability to organize, to navigate the mechanisms of modern communication, comes forth more than ever amidst the pandemic. We argue against other factions without truly knowing fact from fiction.
How many of us actually look at the scientific data around vaccines? The term “misinformation” has become ubiquitous.
To escape this spiraling path, we must adopt a larger perspective. If we accept with humility the truth that we know little, we can come together as a species and forge a better path.