We went up to Berkeley last Friday night to see Petty Theft, a Tom Petty tribute band. Clever name right? It was a fun way to celebrate his birthday, and it made me think about Tom’s music again.

I wrote my own tribute when he died back in 2017. His music still brings waves of nostalgia, but it’s more than that. Tom’s lyrics reassure we all deal with the banality of life, but they also provide hope. His music says, “you know those things about life that make it grand, or make it suck sometimes? I feel them too. It’s a wild world. And that’s part of what makes it great, the ride.”

Then there’s the sound: the epitome of Americana. It varies throughout the albums and decades, but there’s something timeless about his sound. It’s almost a rite of passage, as if you have to experience Tom Petty’s music in order to grow up American.

Petty Theft concert at Cornerstone Bar in Berkeley, CA last weekend

I don’t mean to lionize his memory. But he did take a stand against the big record labels and the corruption in the music industry, he sang and spoke from his heart as just an ‘ordinary’ guy, and he appeared to truly love his family. To me those are worthy enough qualifiers to revere him and his contribution of music.

And he’s gone, he's been gone. I still can’t believe it sometimes, like I’m living in some bizarro backwards world. His death makes me think about contribution—which I’ve written about before (see one, two, three, four). I believe Tom significantly contributed to the universe. Music is a wonderful way to contribute, because it awakens the soul. When listening to Tom Petty my soul is alive, it’s free, it raucously tears up any pieces of despair and caution and throws them to the wind.

We all get to find our own way to contribute. I want my writing to be my way.

Not only was it Tom Petty’s birthday, but tomorrow marks the 5(!) year anniversary of this blog. I still remember my decision, my resolution, back in October 2019, to contribute to the universe by writing this blog consistently. My wife (then fiancée) and I were living in Arusha, working with the Kyosei Foundation to bring better education conditions for local children. My perspective was different back then, but the mission for TAV remains unchanged: to convince people that we can change the world. Not politicians, not tech billionaires, not scientists or startups or corporations. Us ordinary people. In talking with people all around the world I try to show that we are more similar than we are different, and that we all want the same things.

Building a school outside Arusha, October 2019

How to change the world has not changed since that post in 2019. It’s still imperative for us to recognize that we inhabit one big beautiful amazing world together. We still need to develop global consciousness so that we can unite humanity around our sameness and shared circumstances and values. We can still inspire change in others. There is still hope in the world—we are that hope. We can contribute to a better world, a beautiful future. I firmly believe this to my core.

But I have changed, and so has TAV. Here's my 5 year update…

Blog Schedule

New blog posts go live every Tuesday and Friday. I’ve adopted this publishing cadence to focus on quality over quantity. I work to bring my very best to you each week, from my unique perspective.

Paradigms: A Path to Global Consciousness

I have the beginnings of my book and am looking for an agent. If you know anyone who might be interested in representing me to publishers, please let me know! I believe a long-form exploration of global consciousness will unlock its understanding and urgency to millions of people.

Photography

I continue to take photos almost daily. Ever since I seriously started taking photos in the 2010’s, I’ve tried to capture the beauty and glory of Earth, from its landscapes, wildlife, and people. My photography will soon be for sale. Only a limited number of each piece will be available, and most of the sale revenue will go to charity. Stay tuned for details.

Merch

You can buy t-shirts! Wearing a TAV shirt is a great way to build awareness—these shirts are designed to spur critical thinking for those who see them. Again, most sale revenue will go to charity. If you want a certain phrase or shirt design, send me a message at hey@trevorallenvision.com.

Soon to come

Still having conversations around my podcast. Garrulous Banter will appear soon, featuring some great guests
I’m finalizing a Patreon account so you can support my work directly, if you so desire. Every little bit helps!

If you’re still reading this, thank you for sticking with me. This has been an enlightening personal journey, and publishing my writing out to the world makes me feel whole and valued. It keeps me sane, it holds me accountable to being the best person I can be. And it enables me to contribute, in some small way.

I don’t know what the future holds. But I know if we band together as a species, celebrate the fantastic reality we all share and thus the opportunity we share, that we can change the world.

I think Tom Petty would agree with me.