Inflection and Reflection

At the dawn of 2026, I find myself at the interregnum of my life. In between jobs. In between life stages with my sons moving into adulthood. Nearing the half-century mark. Living in a country I no longer recognize, where the virtues I pledged my life to uphold are being turned upside down. Five years out from my near death experience (see link), this period of my life has forced even more introspection than before.

Despite the uncertainties, I feel an odd sense of possibility and purpose. The United States and the world finds itself at a perilous moment, for a variety of reasons. And yet, new technologies and opportunities reveal the tantalizing promise of something  of something better, fairer. If only we, we humans, can meet the moment and get to the other side could we find this new promised land? Yes, it does seem a bit fantastical.

Possibility. Purpose. Peril. Promise. Prosperity.

So we can seethe in anger, wallow in despair, or simmer in anxiety. Those who wish to forcibly re-shape the institutions, social norms, and economies to their own personal advantage want this. They are engineering this--the better to take for themselves.

But we cannot afford to be paralyzed. As individuals and as a society, we cannot afford indecision. To avoid making a decision, is itself a decision…to do nothing. So, I chose to strive in hope.

I'll be writing a series of articles that articulate the path forward, viewed through the lense of my own professional experience and research. Some of these articles will be my own diagnosis of the problems that afflict our industries, institutions, and societies.  Some articles will be prescriptions, proposing solutions or a path forward through the chaos. Other articles will be more personal reflections, that I hope will help others who also find themselves caught up in a time of transition and uncertainty. And still other articles will be a rallying cry to take action, for themselves and on behalf of others.

Your fellow traveler,

TD