i have always loved trying to understand systems, and the systems that built those systems. i spend a lot of time thinking about how to get there from here. I own/consult at futureemergent.com.
essay
We are living in precedented times. I know, we’ve all heard the opposite for the past two years. We have a once-in-a-century pandemic raging around the world. People are acting with entitled cruelty and rage, especially towards service workers. Millions of people have lost their lives for a teetering
working
I’m pretty quiet the first time you meet me. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say (a fact you’ll figure out after we meet a few more times). I enjoy speaking in public as much as I do talking one-on-one about a subject that
essay
this post is narrated! listen below… this is a collaborative post: concepts and words by Jamie Martinez and josh martinez. This is blog post number 100 on be the future! I’m so grateful that I can share it with my husband Jamie. During the pandemic they instilled in me
working
Out near Port Angeles, Washington, the Elwha river winds through the Olympic peninsula. The river meets the ocean where the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has lived since time immemorial. More than 80% of the river exists within the Olympic National Park, one of my favorite parks in the country. For
essay
New Yorkers and urban planners will know Robert Moses without thinking. For the rest of us, Robert Moses designed and built public works for decades in the New York metropolitan area. Jason Haber summarizes his impact in the New York area like so: His accomplishments bestride New York: 416 miles
personal
I’ve written almost 100 blog posts for be the future. When I started this blog, I didn’t know what would come from it. I’ve been online in some form for more than two thirds of my life. I’ve been a writer for even longer. I decided
personal
A few years ago I committed to myself that I would read more books. It began as a way to counter the nonstop doomscrolling that will come to define my generation. It later became a habit I look forward to: a relaxing way to wind down before I go to
essay
The month I graduated from college, I was exploring fun activities for my new “adult” life. That’s how one night I found myself playing adult kickball despite never having kicked a ball in my life. I slid hard into gravel, biked home in the rain, and cleaned the wound
essay
this post is narrated! listen below… Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is well-known political figure in the House of Representatives. She is also an outspoken abolitionist. Last year she was among the people in power to join calls to defund the police. Ocasio-Cortez answers questions on her Instagram account pretty often. One
working
This week, a mostly-white jury found Ahmaud Arbery’s lynch mob guilty of his assault, kidnapping, and murder. A few days earlier, a different jury found a different murderer not guilty of killing two men. Those men were protesting the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake. These murders are horrific.
essay
In the last few weeks I’ve found myself craving longer walks. I have a brain that’s tuned for Lean thinking, which is an approach that says you can find the most efficient way to do anything. As such, I usually pick the shortest route to get somewhere. I
working
Many of us spend our entire lives simmering in white dominant culture. These days, so many people are working to change the balance of society. We want a just, inclusive society. No group of people should hold the choking dominance that white supremacy has over all of us. This work
