TAV 300

Today marks the 300th day in a row I have published a blog post. So it feels like a momentous day. This blog has progressed a lot, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, but there’s still so much further to go. Writing publicly every day is hard. Some of my posts are shit. But such are the difficulties of producing daily content; it comes with the territory. Blogging every day is a stream-of-consciousness work, and it enables me to comment on the zeitgeist of the world while contributing my unique perspective. It contrasts greatly with the other projects I’m working on for TAV, which I hope to make available in the coming future. These rambling reflections are simply my way of saying this has been a lot of work and a lot of fun. I’ve found something I will do for the rest of my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful for everything writing has to offer. Thank you for reading.

Union Pride

I’ve written many times before that I’m not the most patriotic person. I am happy to be American but attribute my nationality to a lucky birth. However, 3 things over the past 12 hours have evoked in me a great sense of affection, belonging, and even pride for my country.

For perhaps the first time, today I read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. Reading those hallowed words gave me chills. The Founding Fathers committed treason, but they logically explained why the American people were moved to declare independence. They described the tyranny under which they suffered and sought to create a better life for the people. That drive for liberty has endured to this day.

Last night I watched the Disney+ streaming of Hamilton for the first time, and it set me on a path of reflective thought. The establishment of the United States of America set precedence for the formation of a new community on the ideals of freedom, equality, and justice. A group of brilliant, committed people came together at the right time for all this to happen. However imperfect, the patriots who carried out the American Revolution truly wanted their people to have life, liberty, and the ability to pursue happiness.

I also got out my President’s deck today, much to the chagrin of my family, to revisit United States history. Between the cards of the different administrations, one can discern a continuous story of our nation’s history and its trials and tribulations through multiple presidencies. America has a remarkable story. Its founding was extraordinary in every sense, and history unfolded in just the precise way for the country to stand where it does today.

Two hundred and forty four years ago, a group of men declared, “Enough.” Great progress was made on that day. However, as 2020 has shown, we still have a long way to go. In order to form a more perfect Union, let us balance our successes from the past with the problems of the present. We must learn from our mistakes and continue down the path of progress set by our founders. In order to form a more perfect Union, we must engage in civil discourse and consistently consider reform. In order to form a more perfect Union, we must uphold our primary ideals of freedom, justice, and equality. In order to form a more perfect Union, we must be patriots, swearing to uphold these values and ensure their manifestations are available to all citizens. Happy Independence Day.

Lessons passed on

Fathers teach the most important lessons to young men. They are irreplaceable in a child’s life. What starts in early nurturing leads to more fulfilled living. I am lucky to have a wonderful father who has taught me many great lessons; there are also many who do not have that luxury. Today is a day not only to honor fatherhood and the people who serve in such a role, but to reflect on the importance of family integrity and strength. Thanks Dad for modeling a successful human being. Happy Father’s Day to all. 

Summer Solstice Symbolism

Milestones big and small continue to pass. I was able to shower myself for the first time since my ankle injury. In other news, today marks the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere with the coming of the Summer Solstice.

I feel a change of season is always meaningful. It’s literally the dawn of a new set of environmental conditions. To that regard, may this momentous day signify a change in our societal environment as well.

May we be slower to judge. May we be faster to cooperate. May we listen to each other and thus validate each other with open ears and open hearts. May we revert to evidence and reason in uncertainty. May we recognize our common fragility and our common strength. May the summer of 2020 be a turning of the page.

We are diverse, but we are one. We are in unprecedented times, let us act in unprecedented, multilateral fashion. If we come together to strive for universal progress and humanism, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. Let’s make 2020 look even crazier upon future reflection because of how we united and overcame our obstacles. The future is ours to create. What kind of summer do we want for our children?

A Day of Reflection

Black Lives Matter. America as a nation must come to terms with how this simple truth is not evident in our society.

I support Blackout Tuesday today, for people taking time to reflect on everything. I hope in that introspection we recognize the importance of be willing to see differently.

To be able to self-examine our own paradigms is always an important quality, but especially now.

We can change America, and we can change the world. Now is the time to decide what kind of world we want. 

Moments of Kindness

My little sister turned 30 years old today. I believe it’s important, in spite of everything going on in the world right now, to still celebrate important events. Just because “normal” has been altered, doesn’t mean life has to stop. Nor will it. We should still cherish moments with our loved ones. My sister is autistic and in some ways struggles each day to make her own way in the world. Her disability has taught me, from a very young age, to be more understanding and compassionate towards other people. You never know what someone is going through. Especially in these times, we could all use a little more kindness. Thank you for teaching me that Megan. Happy birthday, I love you. 

Memorial Day

What do we celebrate today? The sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of people, whose courage culminates in the world we live in today. And the world of tomorrow. Can’t forget.

May we live in a future in which “the ultimate sacrifice” is no longer necessary. In a world in which we engage reason. Thank you, those who came before, and believed in a better world.

TAV Turns 1

It’s Throwback Thursday!

Today marks the one year anniversary of the TAV blog. A year ago today, I published my first post, a short plea for uniting our species and thinking about the big picture. I didn’t include a picture (or link my blog posts to my instagram account). But I did understand what I was trying to create. Dreams come slow. I’m still in the process of fleshing everything out, but I am proud to say blogging is now a daily and integral part of my life. What have I learned? Writing can be the most fluid feeling in the world, or it can be utter agony. We are capable of thinking deeper, thinking of the larger picture, thinking about what matters, we just need to make a habit of doing it.

I created TAV for a very simple reason: we can change the world. You, me, our neighbors, those on the other side of the world—we can change it together. We have the power to make the world we want. A more fair and just world, a kinder world, a happier world. A better world. It all starts with a vision.

Trevor Allen Vision’s name has both a literal origin and a figurative one. It refers to my vision of the world and the universe. How it exists, how it works, and the innate beauty and complexity that make it up. Put more simply, it’s my perspective on the world. However, my purpose is not to simply commentate on the state of the world, but to inspire and lead change toward the vision that I have for it: where we can go as a species, where we can go as a planet. There are difficult, complex problems in our world right now. They are not easy to solve. Wouldn’t we have solved them if they were easy and simple?

Fortunately, they are not. Yes, fortunately—because it is the great calling of our society, of our civilization, of our species, of our existence. My vision is lofty, utopian, near-impossible. And yet because this vision is so hard to reach, it calls for us, challenges us, to be absolute best we can possibly be. It requires us to be our best. It is vital, crucial; to be less will result in complete and abject failure. The stakes cannot be any higher. We are talking about the security, the prosperity, the peace, the sanctity, the future of our world.

My work, my purpose, is to shape that vision so it is accessible to all, to every single human being on this planet. It will shift and change based on new evidence, new information, new data and insight. It will forever continue to evolve, and I hope it continues to do so well after I die. I hope for a legacy of lasting and continually striving human progress. That is Trevor Allen Vision. The organization and mobilization of human power, to create a beautiful, peaceful, prosperous world in which all life thrives.

Can we achieve this? Can we achieve it together? Can we connect and link every single human to all others, to facilitate the understanding that although we might not all be the same, we are similar, that we want similar things? For what human does not want health, happiness, and the security and prosperity of one’s family? Are there human beings who do not want these things above all else? Are those elements of a healthy, happy, successful, full life determined by a zero-sum game?

Let’s find out, shall we. Let’s discover if we cannot reconfigure the rules to the game, reimagine our institutions born out of history, tradition, and economic mechanization so that they favor our collective prosperity. Let’s determine which factors and incentives work well for all, and organize them in such a way that collective human consciousness flourishes and evolves forevermore into higher and higher awareness. A vision indeed. Let’s, together, make it a reality.

I can’t wait for the next year of blogging, and for the more that is to come. In the near future, I will be revamping the website to make it more functional and intuitive, adding some new features, and releasing more content. Stay tuned.

A Mother’s Day

Hallmark holiday? Yes, in a lot of ways. But at the same time, we all have a mother. Every single one of us who has ever existed. There’s something to be said of the women who’ve brought us into the world. If only for that, they deserve appreciation. Thank you. Without you, there would be no us.

Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

My mom’s side of the family is mostly Irish and my Dad’s mostly German, so naturally Cinco de Mayo is a big holiday for us. Only in America do people celebrate the military victories of other nations by drinking that culture’s libations.

On a serious note however, it’s important to avoid the realm of cultural appropriation. To me, Cinco de Mayo is about celebrating American and Mexican cultural assimilation. Mexican-American culture has long (like pre-1850 long) been prevalent in California and it’s produced some really cool customs and food.

It’s also about resilience and solidarity. Colonialism, oppression and racism…many atrocities have been committed against Mexicans throughout American history. Cinco De Mayo serves as a reminder that a small few can make a difference. That domination of one group of people by a ‘different’ group is not okay. That we can choose what we accept and make a stand against what isn’t right.

In the grand scheme of holiday celebration, humanity can become more inclusive when we are exposed more to the diversity within our species and address our complicated history. Like many Californians, Mexican cuisine is among my favorite types of foods. So I will have some tacos, drink some tequila, and continue to ponder about how we can be better as one people. Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Earth Day: Our Responsibility to the Planet

Today serves as a great reminder to realign our focus, but every day is Earth Day. We are noticing lockdown’s beneficial effects on the environment—the skies are clearer, the animals are returning. But these changes won’t last if we revert back to “normal” and plow onwards in stubbornness or unawareness. 

Climate change is humanity’s number one threat, not the Coronavirus. Because of us, it is also millions of other species’ greatest threat. We are slowly garnering attention towards this issue, and we are making some progress. But not enough.

Earth is the only home any of us will ever know. It is the only home our species has ever had. We must treat it for what it is—a sacred miracle. If we all consider our actions and how they affect the planet, rapid progress can alter the current course of catastrophe and extinction.

Make no mistake, those are the stakes.

Let’s make every day Earth Day, because every day is a day on Earth. It’s such an incredibly beautiful and utterly amazing world; we must change our ways to keep it that way. 

Easter Rebirth

I’ve always been ambivalent about Easter. I don’t identify with the religious portion, but culturally it’s been a part of my upbringing. It’s bright colors and often the start of Spring and it almost serves as a mini New Year’s. What are we going to do this year? It’s been 3+ months, so what are we really going to do this year? It’s kind of a real gut check, along with the rebirth. My family has always made a big deal about Easter, so it’s a big deal for me. Yes we are what we think about, but we are also majorly influenced by who we spend time with. I’m fortunate to be sheltering in place with my most important people. If you’re reading this, you’re fortunate—there are millions of people without internet. This Easter can serve as a true planetary consciousness, a global rebirth. We just have to recognize it’s one world. What are we going to do this year?

A New Dawn

Did you know today is the Vernal Equinox, the (in the Northern Hemisphere) first day of Spring? Maybe we can focus on small wins as we all continue to experience a vastly different 2020 than previously imagined. Spring and Autumn are important seasons in that they herald so much change. New life starts in Spring as the Northern Hemisphere warms up. Here’s to embracing all the current changes in our lives. There is a horizon off in the future—keep it in mind as we strive to be the best citizens and the best humans we can be.

St. Patty’s in Cambodia

Wow, it was nice to be distracted today, just being mentally away from all the corona gloom.

Perspective is everything. Our lens, our paradigm, affects our subsequent experience as much as the experience itself.

It was an interesting conglomerate of tech media companies which made the unified statement about disinformation, and it proved telling: “misinformation” is part of our lexicon now. It’s proved to be one of our species’ most significant challenges. I mean, how would you rank them? Climate change, Education, ”misinformation?” And right now they’re all interrelated.

Just overall a weird mood across the planet. I can only hope things don’t “go back to normal.” We now have a unique opportunity to decide. Globally for once, we can reflect on our circumstances and choices, and decide together: Who are we? Who do we want to be?

It’s one fucking big beautiful amazing world. Can we unite, can we develop global consciousness, can we change the world?

Grateful to Leap

I feel February 29th doesn’t get its just due. It only happens every 4 years! We get an extra day this year! An extra day to learn, to experience, to live. Maybe Leap Year Day can become Gratitude Day. A day to rejoice that we’re alive, right now, in the year 2020, with so much technology and convenience, on this amazing beautiful planet. This is life. We are alive. There’s so much to be grateful for. It truly is wondrous. Go do what you makes you feel alive. Soak in the present moment. Imagine and dream and create. Happy Leap Year, and Happy Gratitude Day. 

Presidential Musings

Although I don’t consider myself very patriotic, I hold a deep if peculiar respect for President’s Day. Especially concerning the current political polarization in America, I believe it’s important to honor the people who have made some of the greatest impacts on the United States, as well as reflect on where we stand today. 

I always specifically think of 3 men on this day. It all started with Washington, from how he purposefully remained unaffiliated with any political party to his being adamant about serving only two terms. He set the standard for those who followed. Then it was Lincoln, who, in the country’s most vulnerable period, abolished slavery and preserved the Union. Finally, FDR guided the country through the Great Depression and World War II. None of these men were perfect, but they accomplished some important things with conviction, determination, and honor. The world would look very different today without these contributions.

Indeed it seems today is very different from those times. I hope many years from now I can look back on dozens of these holidays and see 2 things in particular: that we have once again bestowed honor to the office of the president, and that a much more diverse group of people have held that office. We must reflect on how we treat people and communicate with adversaries, and we must continue to examine ourselves and our society to ensure all peoples of all attributes have the opportunity to serve America and humanity.

Australia Day

When you travel you learn. Being in Cairns for Chinese New Year was one thing; experiencing Australia Day was another. As an outsider, it’s clear there is much controversy over the holiday, which is celebrated as Australia’s National day. Many indigenous people refer to the annual date as Invasion Day, Survival Day, or Day of Mourning.

These are not easy conversations to have. The US struggles with similar problems when it comes to Native American rights, or the adding/removing of the word “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Basically everywhere in the world copes with its darker parts of history. 

We need to have the conversations, so we can move forward together. Our world is becoming smaller and more connected. We can use these annual celebrations as an impetus to connect with each other as well. Communication and understanding are the first steps toward changing the world. 

Chinese New Year in Cairns

I’ve never celebrated Chinese New Year outside of China. It’s strange. Chinese culture was so ingrained in my life when I lived in Beijing, and even though that was a lifetime ago, it’s still weird for me to see its propagation within another culture. Especially because Australia is foreign to me—perhaps it would be different if it was back in California. 

Australia appears to struggle with the racism of its past in a somewhat similar way as America toils with the injustices within its history. Today’s celebrations almost seemed like a self-affirming assertion that “hey, Australia is a diverse place with many cultures and ethnicities.” It felt like the events were put on by white people. 

This continent is a multicultural place, especially in the south. And I’m not against celebrating important cultural holidays of people who live here. It just didn’t feel authentic. It was a holiday today in a way, but not quite. 

I believe it’s important to talk about these observations and feelings, that if we communicate openly and honestly about them, we will come together. Maybe not at first, maybe not easily, but hearing the other is the primary step towards understanding and resolution. 

A Gratefulness Strategy

Doing heavy work in the heat on MLK day, I came across a strategy for being grateful. As I was suffering the heat, I realized I had things to look forward to. I knew I was going to shower when I was done, that I would get to relax in the AC. It wasn’t all that bad, especially compared to others.

The strategy is to think of others who have had it worse. When it comes to manual labor, how about:

• Slaves in the early United States - you work every day for your entire life (not to mention all the mistreatment, dehumanization, and sometimes even torture)

• Concentration camp captives during WWII - you work under inhumane conditions until you starve or they execute you (Victor Frankl details this, and how to find meaning regardless, in his phenomenal book Man’s Search for Meaning)

Basically, compare your situation to someone who has suffered much worse. There always is that someone. 

At the end of the day, there are many strategies that can help us be grateful. If the strategy above doesn’t work, just remember it’s due to people like Martin Luther King Jr., who refused to accept such types of tyranny. We can be grateful for heroes of the past who have made the world better for us now.

Wonder Woman

Today my Granma turned 85 years old. I got to FaceTime with her and have a little chat, half the world away. I just kept thinking—what a remarkable window of human history she’s witnessed, and what an incredible life she’s lived (and she ain’t done yet!). 

My Granma has lived all over the world, including  Taiwan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Peru, and across the US. She’s met Barack Obama 3 separate times. My Granma has chased down one of her sons in the middle of the night on the streets of Cairo, and she’s been on a “normal” commercial flight with a baby elephant. She first watched Star Wars when it came out in 1977 at a drive thru movie theater, and they played the 2nd reel before the 1st. My Granma experienced the invention of TV, the microwave, computers, and the internet. She’s voted in every single election since she was of age. My Granma beat cancer before she even told any of our family about it. 

As you can imagine, her stories are amazing. 

The eldest of 9 children, my Granma is a pillar of strength, regardless of whatever she may tell you. She also raised 4 sons, often on her own when my Granpa was away working. 

I’ve learned so much from you Granma. You’ve taught me how to think long-term and how to think simply. You’ve reinforced the importance of family, all those times you came out to visit even though we lived far apart. I still remember when you watched my sister and me when I was 10 and my parents were on vacation, and you made me wacky cake the first time. My entire life, you’ve never missed an important event. And through your incredible stories, you’ve shown me how exciting life is, how much of an adventure one can have regardless of birth or status, and how truly wonderful we can make this journey. 

I will never be able to repay you, but I will pass it on. I love you, go win at Bridge, and happy birthday.