We can change the world.
Enjoying a simple yet spectacular day in Dubrovnik, Croatia. September 2019
This stuff is complicated. At times we can seem to have very different opinions about the happenings in the world. It takes time to suss out such conversations, not to mention patience. But really, if we get through it all, I believe we agree on more than we know.
We are all human. We all what the same things. We are one species, living together on one planet. We can change the world.
Peaceful vibes at a temple complex in Luang Prabang, Laos. March 2020
We hold unique power to manipulate our environment. Our civilizations have conquered continents, and our current population spans the entire globe. But rather than get cocky, can we rally to manipulate the planet’s environment as a force of good? Can we unite towards a common purpose of a prosperous planet? The very fate of our species depends on it.
Street art in Nashville, Tennessee. April 2022
Our evolution as sapiens is never ending, but it isn’t automatic. Our progress requires participation. We can change the world, but we need to do it, together.
Exploring the early morning streets of Arusha, Tanzania. October 2019
I believe most people are good. If you slow down and watch you can see that. However, I think most of us are self-centered a lot of the time—including myself, I’m certainly no saint.
That’s why consideration is crucial to the development of our species. We may inherit biological mechanisms that spur tribal behavior, but we also possess the ability to rise above our nature.
We have the profound ability to make conscious choices. If we can pause to consider—to think about the external world, to move outside and beyond our own internal environment—everyone will benefit. We will live healthier and happier lives. We will flourish as a species and as a planet. We just need to be considerate.
The open desert in Joshua Tree National Park, November 2019
There’s a reason we admire those who work toward something greater than themselves. To those who give to others without thought of reward. We celebrate these people because they provide a glimpse into the profound. What an amazing universe this is, in which we can be all that we want to.
Looking toward the Transamerica Pyramid in downtown San Francisco, May 2022
Anyone alive while I write this might never be able to escape the tribalism that’s engrained in our biology. We’re naturally social and want to belong to a group. But can we recalibrate our expectations of tribal scale? Can we collectively identify our tribe as a global unit, can we reconsider the parameters of our group? We are all human. We are all one big tribe.
Locals enjoying the water at sunset in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. January 2019
We tend to operate on a short timescale, and expanding it would improve outcomes. We think in terms of today, tomorrow, next week or next year. But that’s such a minuscule time window within the larger universe. Our energy policy decisions must be made on the timeline of centuries. Our systems and institutions need to be future-proofed with all possible forethought. What we do now will echo for generations. What a wonderful opportunity.
Watching the coastline from the side of the road outside Cape Town, South Africa, December 2019
I wonder how universal the feeling or concept of the weekend is around the world. Many countries now have some semblance of a five day workweek, but it also feels very “Western.” Perhaps because my weekends in China were on weekdays, I experienced a slightly different sensation. I’ve noticed my priorities and desires have shifted during this coveted free time. I now long to spend it with my tribe, to spend time slowly, cherishing the good times in the present moment. How similar are those values across the planet? Can we pursue such a course together, without infringement of the larger group? Sometimes weekends are for thinking about things like this.
Walking underneath the flags in Laos, March 2020
I enjoyed a simple and delicious meal at the table this evening. And it made me wonder about today’s zeitgeist. How many Americans are eating together with their tribe every evening? It’s a multi-millennial tradition, likely engrained into our biology alongside our social development. What if something simple, like eating dinner together, could preemptively solve much of what ails us? Food for thought.
Gentoos getting through the penguin highway on South Georgia, March 2019
Being healthy, both mentally and physically, is a consistent process. I’ve come to learn that as I’ve grown older. It feels as though it’s exacerbated by the pandemic; we’re worn out, beyond our stressing point, and collectively tired.
I too easily slip into feelings of pity. It’s worse than when I succumb to loathing, because that usually snaps me out of it through fire. But sometimes, I also recognize the opportunity for the harsh truth, and thus for gratitude. It could be worse, and so many people have it so. Is there any true reason to experience pity?
This is how we get out of any effervescent funk as a group: realizing that others have it far worse. Embracing the harsh reality in the moment, and being grateful that it’s not that bad. We can get through this. And it’s only possible together.
Capturing a park scene at Washington Square in San Francisco this past weekend
I’ve seen how quickly perspective can change. I feel like mine does throughout the day, and maybe that’s a bad thing in some ways. But it also stands in stark contrast to the absolute resoluteness of many peoples’ opinions. It seems in today’s world it’s common to marry one’s identity to their beliefs and opinions. People appear to be phobic to being wrong. We’re all wrong sometimes. And the only way we’ll change the world is together, once we expand our perspective to the larger picture, despite it meaning we may be wrong about certain things. Being wrong is okay.
Waiting for the music to start during another busy weekend in Nashville
It takes me a while now to recover from busy and boisterous weekends. There is a time for action, and a time for rest. I can see that balance more and more clearly as I get older. The different aspects of experience are all strands along the same spectrum.
Enjoying city views and vibes yesterday morning in San Francisco
On Memorial Day today I think about liberty and justice for all. Do we experience that?
Another look to the city, earlier today
Everything is beautiful. Isn’t it? Maybe I just don’t experience that urban environment often. We are working together in this world, and if you look carefully, you see that in the city.
Looking up in Union Square today
I really enjoy walking around the city. The skyscrapers everywhere make the world feel larger. The unique architecture and history make it feel like part of a story. The people are full of life, exploring for an experience beyond the space available. It’s a street photographer’s dream. San Francisco is a special place.
Asking nothing more from the seashore, Maui, February 2021
Reminiscing is fun and useful. When you discuss old times with your tribe you strengthen it. Looking forward to the future can also prove important. Where are we going? Will we grow and pursue new ventures? Survival is fundamental to being human, but so is our capacity for more. What more do we want?
Another good day back in 2010, in Glacier National Park
It’s hard to believe, today is my younger sister’s 32nd birthday. Time just passes on I guess. My sister is a special person; she always seems to have something going on in her head, even if I can’t quite understand it or reach it. She’s “living her best life,” as they say. I worry she might feel alone sometimes, and my family tries to mitigate that as much as possible. Today my beautiful younger sister had a good day, and that is reason to celebrate. Our time with our tribe is the most important experience in this life. Today was special; today was a good day.
Watching a baby fur seal on South Georgia Island, March 2019
I always get caught up with the realization that life simply goes on. We always know the present the best, and it’s difficult to reach back toward the past to remember, to understand, to put together with what we experience now. Likewise the future will always be slightly out of grasp. And in this case, why don’t we embrace it, and make the absolute best out of this moment together that we can.
Observing the circle of life outside Sydney, Australia, January 2020
I used to consider The Month of May to be special when I was in high school. May brought warmer temperatures, and the prospect of the summer, which back then equated to freedom. It became a thing with my friends, serving as a month-long crescendo towards the promise of fun.
I can once again feel it in the air. Even though Covid cases have been on the rise, it seems we’re pulling further and further from the initial horror of the pandemic. People are excited about the summer, about the future in general.
And we should be. Things can be much better, and we’ll need to work toward them, but it could also be much worse. We can be grateful for where we are now, and hold hope for the future being brighter. Summer is coming. Our world is healing. We can continue to make it better, and there’s so much for us to experience.
Fully taking in a sunset in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, September 2010
I’ve always put pressure on myself to do well, to be the best I feel I should be. It can be an asset in many ways, but it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. I try to remind myself often that everything will be alright. Forget the end of the day: at the end of our lives, we will look back on our fond memories because we enjoyed them, not because they were accomplishments. It’s up to us to love and live to the fullest extent possible in our limited time. And for all of that I am grateful. We can change the world yes, but we can also live.