I Wish The World Were Different: A Reflection at 32

In just a few short hours, midnight will strike and another year of life shall have come around to greet me. As each year passes, I am more grateful than the last to make it to see another. Recently while scrolling through Twitter (now known as X. One of several dumb decisions by idiot mega-billionaire Elon Musk.) a follower commented that for many Black men coming into their 30s, this was statistically the half-way point of life. I immediately had to look up the statistics and found this to be true. The life expectancy of a Black man in the United States is 69 years old. As midnight strikes, I inch closer to that 34-35 year range. This immediately made me think of my own grandfather and father, both recently deceased in the last few years, my grandfather in 2019 and my father in 2023. One just entering his 50s, the other not yet 70. The unfortunate reality laid bare so close to home.

Although this thought is somber and sobering, there is some optimism baked into this unfortunate reality. The ability of some foresight! The ability of planning! Of good decisions! Of forward thinking! The unfortunate reality is always full of opportunity, if one just takes a bit of optimism to see it. As I enter into this 32nd year of life, I am grateful for the many lessons that have been learned over these years. Each circumstance, opportune or unfortunate, a chance to learn something for future endeavors. A chance to grow.

As I look out at the world, in honesty, I wish the world were different. I think that many of us may feel the same way. The world that we live in seems riddled with injustice, bent on allowing the powerful and enriched to pollute and harm our shared environment,  too slow to respond and be proactive to solve the challenges that lie in front of us. This can become overwhelming all too easily and a sense of desperation, anxiety, and panic can set in. Don't let it. Don't allow yourself to be swallowed up in the depths of despair that you may feel nipping at your heels. There is so much that we individually and collectively can do to push against the tide of destruction that we see lapping at our shores. Do not let compassion fatigue set in, don't allow yourself to succumb to the belief that nothing matters, and all is lost. This blog is called Thoughts at the Abyss because allow The Abyss lies before us, we have not yet fallen fully into it. We still can think, be rational, smart, and plan for a better future. We can make changes here, now, in real-time to see the better future that we all deserve. This blog will be an exploration of these things. A dive into the history of the past, because if we do not know it we will never know what to avoid, what did not work, what led to destruction, and how best to move forward. This blog will be an exploration of current events and what they mean for you, for us, for the collective. This blog will be an exploration into specific things that can be done to enrich yourself, your loved ones, your community, and the greater collective. Change is inevitable but it does not mean you can't be as prepared as you possibly can.

Join me in this exploration. I invite you graciously to come along.