clearly, she is special

So let’s begin with the data today, all from the past year…

  1. A 48% increase in total fans attending games
  2. Also a 48% increase in average fans per game
  3. A 242% increase in sold out games
  4. More than 54 million unique viewers watching games via varied networks
  5. Nearly 2 billion social media video views
  6. A 170% increase in average viewers for ESPN games 
  7. Online merch sales from main site and the flagship store were up a combined 601%
  8. Merch sales at Dick’s Sporting Goods increased by 233%
  9. A double-digit year-over-year increase in attendance for every team
  10. More than a fourfold jump for the Indiana Fever

Thank you, Caitlin Clark. Thank you, Caitlin, and to you, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, and the other outstanding rookies who played a part in an unprecedented year in professional women’s basketball, a year in which attention was strikingly soaring. Thank you, too, to the Lisa Leslie’s, Tamika Catchings’ and other notable all stars who played when it wasn’t so soaring, but indeed laid the foundation for the success we see today. 

Clearly, in the season that was, Clark was special. That wasn’t popular in all circles in explaining the league’s massive, newfound popularity. But even amid the noise, Clark had an undeniable, phenomenal year, resulting this week in reportedly being voted the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year.

But to solely focus on her gridiron skill set may mean missing what makes her so special. Yes, she is fiercely competitive, passes with uncanny precision, and can shoot the lights out of the barn or however that saying goes from pretty much anywhere on the court. 

But she is more. At only 22.

At 22 years old she came into the league with some of the highest expectations. Picked first in the draft, all eyes were on her,

With all eyes, however undeserving, she became an instant role model. And real role models know you never have to announce said status; you never speak of the perceived perils that come with the position. You simply lead, stay humble, and honor those around you. 

That’s what Clark did. 

She also led well as a prominent female. So many lead and speak in a way that attempts to elevate what they identify in by putting down the identity of another; it’s a trap we too often fall into. But there’s no need; we’re not in competition with one another. Honor means we honor all. Clark does that well.

But maybe what’s been most special in her first professional season is her contagious authenticity. When she’s happy, she’s happy. When she’s mad, she’s mad (she tied for second in the league in technical fouls in year one). She cracks jokes on the court — flashing wide-eyed grins at teammates and even opponents across the lane. In the scripted world we live in, where so many let us see only a manipulated version of themselves, Clark’s authenticity is refreshing. I pray her future years don’t pollute what’s currently so good and right and true.

And lastly, what makes Clark so special is that she doesn’t think she is.

She works hard, plays hard, and stays humble. Even when thought to be one of the best female players ever, her talent hasn’t lured her into entitlement. 

“You’ll never hear from her parents that, ‘Oh, boy, isn’t Caitlin Clark the greatest thing in the world?’ ” Dickson Jensen, Clark’s former AAU coach, says. “They’re continuing to keep her grounded and they’re grateful for everything that Caitlin has been able to receive. They don’t think they deserve anything. Everything’s earned and nothing’s promised.”

Indeed, Clark is special. No doubt what makes her so attractive is because she doesn’t act as if such is so.

Respectfully…

AR

the interview

All sorts of people are jockeying for all sorts of desired jobs this season. They are chosen via various means, even election. As a career HR professional, no less, suffice it to say I’ve interviewed my share of people. Not only my share of people, but also for a plethora of varied positions, each requiring a varied, distinct skill set, temperament, and combination of education and experience. By no means is every person qualified or close to qualified for every position (which, by the way, is especially important to me in my dentist and pilot). The goal is for the right person to be in the right job. My role is to discern potential fit.

In order to determine fit, there are certain questions I typically always ask. If asked and if dodged or the response doesn’t really answer my question — indicative of a lack of comfort, knowledge or desired transparency — I will ask another way or perhaps more bluntly, as this we need to know. Some questions must be answered. Fit cannot be determined by feeling. In order to proceed in my role wisely, I need to find the right person for the right job — not just who I want or feel better about. Hence…

  • I want to know you, and I want you to know us. What should we know about you?
  • Why did you leave your last job?
  • How did you get to here? Help me understand. What made you apply for this position?
  • Tell me about some of your more significant, previous co-workers. How would they describe you? Any relationships that were hard? If so, why?
  • For those you’ve previously led, how would they describe your leadership style? Also, how has your leadership style changed — and why? What prompted that?
  • What skill set or perspective do you uniquely bring to the table?
  • What personality/temperament tests have you taken? DiSC®, Enneagram, StrengthsFinder? Describe the results to me. Anything surprise you, make you especially proud or make you uncomfortable?
  • Where are you growing? Where are you stuck? Any next steps you’d like to share?
  • What would success in this job look like?
  • Under what conditions would you struggle?
  • How do you handle conflict?
  • How do you handle stress? How does pace impact your stress level? And when you’re stressed, how is your communication affected? I’d love some examples.
  • How do you receive and provide feedback? How do you react to the concept of radical candor? When is it helpful? When is it not?
  • What do you know about our organization?
  • How do you practice intentional rest? Do you value that?
  • How do you have fun? Are you competitive at all?
  • What long term goals and dreams do you have?
  • How can we help you develop and grow?
  • What questions do you have for me?
  • Anything else I should know?

Remember that the goal is fit. I want every person in the right position — whether that’s with me in my organization or elsewhere. I am not attempting to make everyone fit here; it’s silly to believe that all would. 

The interview process is therefore not a place of flattery, salesmanship or any disingenuity; again, it’s a place to discern appropriate and accurate fit. Let me get to know you. Let you get to know us.

In light of this post, I took the liberty of reaching out to some I have interviewed in years past. I am by no means perfect nor striving to be. But over the course of the last 30 years, I’ve asked much the same questions. So I asked some former interviewees what it was like to be on the receiving end of me…

“Oh, wow… that’s a great and interesting question. I felt at ease and respected… Very warm and welcoming. It’s very easy to be open and honest with you and just have good conversation…

You were very clear. You did a good job speaking to what you knew and what you didn’t… It was actually a great experience. I didn’t feel bombarded with an overwhelming sense, as you did it as if we were just two people talking, getting to know each other… it was open, fair and positive…

I think you are really good at creating a balanced conversation where there’s room for honesty, curiosity, and learning from each other… I felt like I was speaking with someone who values my experience and insights…

I feel like you don’t just ask questions simply to ask them but you’re genuinely curious about the person you’re interviewing. You seem to really want to know the person and who they are… The person on the other side is never lost on you…”

My sense is the best interviews for desired jobs are marked by honesty, genuineness, and interactive conversation. To be clear, I’m not sure accurate fit can otherwise be discerned… no matter how I feel.

Respectfully…

AR

America’s current biggest weakness

No, it’s not inflation. Not immigration, discrimination or any other ā-SHən either.

In this current event blogger’s semi-humble opinion, our current biggest weakness is our lack of viewpoint diversity. In fact, it is such a weakness, that we won’t even entertain the idea of imprudence. We refuse to examine any wisdom in expanding our perspective. There exists, too, this encouraging pressure to join the public, forte chorus, asserting the “I’m-right-you’re-wrong/time-to-wash-my-hands-of-you” perspective. My concern is the blindness of our foolishness. And this from intelligent people.

Behind this, no less, is the existence of the binary choice. As recently discussed, when we conclude that a choice is solely between two alternatives (good/bad, right/wrong, tastes great/less filling), we blur the lines of preference, opinion and conviction and we negate the perspective of the one who thinks differently than we. This is indeed easier than employing the time, patience and humility necessary to fully comprehend manifold frames of mind. Easier, but also errant. 

Here’s the key… admitting this need not threaten what we already believe. But the unwillingness to even examine the legitimacy of varied viewpoint is a glaring flaw in our national existence. We’ve taken this so far, in fact — maybe because people know it sounds surly and shallow to not even entertain alternate perspective — that we’ve concluded that another’s perspective is so dangerous, it should not be heard… It needs to be silenced at all costs… I will not pay attention to them.

And sadly, the blindness to our foolishness increases… and the weakness in our civil society only swells.

So let’s see if we can help each other out today. Let us see if we can fill some of those gaping schisms giving one another a bit of a way out. We don’t have to drastically move, contemplating major errors in our own thinking. We can even conclude we’re more right than the other if such is comforting. Hear then how such is vocalized by author and AllSides contributor Stephanie Lepp…

“Throughout history, thinkers from Ancient Greece to China have practiced the art of contemplating different perspectives, in order to find a more comprehensive view. But in America today, we can hardly interact with different perspectives, let alone integrate them. Our viewpoint diversity has become seen as a weakness, rather than a strength. 

The internet often gives us binary choices: pro-vax or anti-vax. Pro-choice or pro-life. Woke or anti-woke. Choosing one or the other leaves insights off the table. Vaccines shouldn’t be taken always, nor should they be taken never, so the question isn’t ‘pro-vax or anti-vax?’ but ‘under what circumstances should vaccines be taken?’ With respect to abortion, most Americans don’t identify as purely ‘pro-choice’ or ‘pro-life,’ and instead favor abortion rights with limits. And with respect to wokeness, the oppressor-oppressed frame is critical and overdue, but not always the most relevant.

In response to binary thinking, there can be a reflexive both-sides-ism — which presents different perspectives as equally relevant or valuable, regardless of the evidence or ethical considerations. American media should be more balanced, but not in a way that creates false equivalence or obscures truth. The best solutions are not always halfway between extremes…

Ultimately, it’s unlikely that one side is entirely right. It’s also unlikely that all sides are equally right. It’s more likely that most of us are partially right, but some of us are more right than others. That doesn’t make for a great tagline, but it avoids the pitfalls of tribalism and both-sides-ism in pursuit of the most comprehensive view. Our view will always be partial, and we can always strive to see more faces of reality.”

That last sentence strikes me: “our view will always be partial.” That’s why the binary choice is a fallacy… and why, too, our lack of viewpoint diversity is our current, biggest weakness.

Our lack of viewpoint diversity paves the way for tribalism, meaning it prompts strong feelings of loyalty to a specific political or social group. Tribalism is dangerous because it erodes our discernment, and often, we are completely clueless to the erosion. No longer does it matter who the leader of the group is; we’re loyal solely because they’re from the same tribe. We are ignorant to their nonexistent competency. That weakness is therefore more than current and big. It’s glaring, too.

Respectfully…

AR

tricks are for kids

I used to think tricks were for kids, and soon I realized age was not a factor. 

I speak not of pulling any rabbit from a hat nor sawing any female assistant in half. In fact, call it a “trick.” Call it a “trap.” The meanings are the same [with all emphasis mine]…

trick | trik | – noun

— a cunning or skillful act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone.

• a mischievous practical joke; an illusion.

trap | trap | – noun

— a situation in which people lie in wait to make a surprise attack.

• a trick by which someone is misled into acting contrary to their interests or intentions; an unpleasant situation from which it is hard to escape.

The trick I feel we’re increasingly falling into is the ease with which we create a binary choice. When making a choice, we assume the choice is solely between two alternatives. For example…

  • Red Sox or Yankees
  • If you’re not for me, you’re against me.
  • Tastes great! Less filling.

But the reality is that there are far more options to choose from. (And in the above trifecta: other baseball teams exist, I may not care, and not everyone likes Miller Lite.)

Allow me to echo the words of Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize winning economist who parses the roles of emotion, cognition and perception. He affectionately refers to our tendency as WYSIATI: what you see is all there is. The binary bait is to craft a choice out of only what we can see.

Indeed it takes extra effort (and time, patience and humility, I would add) to stop and ask, “What’s missing? What do I not see? What am I actually unable to see from my vantage point?”

Allow me, no less, to get to what I believe is the most current, frequent example of the trick’s luring. I’m a little hesitant only because I’m aware of the feathers it may ruffle. In fact, it has been said many times straight to me. And you know what’s incredibly uncanny in my opinion? It’s been said about the same situation, same people, yet from totally opposite sides.

The binary trick we have assumed is that the upcoming election is a choice between right and wrong. There is only one right way to vote. 

Sit with that for a moment. And let me honor all who have strong opinions, immediately amen the above, and have decided which is which…

The concerning reality is that there are many good people who believe that if you vote differently than them — if you conclude that the other candidate is the better choice — not only are you misguided, you are wrong. It is impossible to have a wise or right response if it differs from their conclusion.

With all due respect, that feels too simple to me. Maybe contemptuous, too. We assume we know what motivates the person who thinks differently than we do; we assume their motives, opinion is somehow faulty. We may not even know them — often we don’t! It doesn’t matter; we negate their perspective. But the binary choice insulates us from doing the hard work of figuring out why they have a different perspective. The binary choice kills the beauty of curiosity. And perhaps most significantly, the binary choice blurs the lines between preference, opinion and conviction, making us think they’re all the same. They are not.

Wiser would be to do the work to understand the why, why another feels differently than me…

I don’t understand how you got here. We don’t think the same. Can you help me see? Can you help me understand? I admit, that’s hard for me.

We don’t have to agree. But we can work to see. And working to see in no way threatens what we believe.

Respectfully…

AR

this day — 61 years later

Let me never declare that I have walked a mile in any other’s shoes. I can seek to understand the circumstances of another. I can be earnest. Zealous. Totally sincere. I can work tirelessly to better comprehend another’s plight or perspective. But I don’t know that it’s fair or accurate to ever suggest that I could somehow wear their shoes… feeling what they felt… the blisters, callouses, so much more. Something seems glaringly incomplete.

We were profoundly aware of that inability last weekend. The day was dreary — which indeed seemed fitting. There was a bit of a light rain. It  never seemed to go away. I suppose one could say the storm came long ago.

61 years ago today, in fact.

It was nearing half past ten in the morning. Many were adorned in their Sunday best. Four of whom were young girls who were reportedly straightening their dresses and bows in the basement restroom…

Addie Mae Collins… Cynthia Wesley… Carole Robertson… and Denise McNair.

The first three were fourteen years old. The latter, eleven.

When the bomb then exploded, the incident and resulting intensity hoisted a glaring spotlight upon a clear evil in this world.

At the time, Birmingham was one of our nation’s most segregated cities. It was 1963 and a highly, racially charged, discriminatory atmosphere. In May of that year, the city agreed to desegregate lunch counters, restrooms, drinking fountains, and fitting rooms, and to hire African Americans in stores as salesmen and clerks. The move was vehemently opposed by white segregationists. Rampant violence continued.

The downtown, 16th Street Baptist Church, no less, was a place where many civil rights leaders often gathered — among them Martin Luther King, Fred Shuttlesworth and more. They would organize and strategize. They would worship, too. It was the start of many protests — nonviolent, as they were. One could say the brown brick building became the fragile place were racial tension and white hostility sadly met.

On Sunday, September 15th, 1963, a bomb was detonated under the steps of the church, spraying mortar, caving in interior walls prior to the start of their weekly service. Many were injured, but most were able to evacuate — not those, however, in the basement restroom. 

Sadly still, it has been long characterized as an incident where no one wondered if this was any accident. It was immediately presumed to be intentional. And therefore, as we soberly conclude, evil. People killed people because of the color of their skin. People killed people because of hate.

As we walked the hallowed grounds last weekend we were overcome with a profound sobriety. We strolled slowly, mostly in silence. Tears, too.

I watched my youngest son get a glimpse of what actually happened, an incident that occurred long before he was even born. As noted, Josh has Down syndrome, and while he typically scores lower on a stereotypical IQ test, he is full of great wisdom. (Fact: intelligence and wisdom are not the same.) Watching him process reality, therefore, is beautifully, insightfully fascinating…

Why would someone do that? How could they hate another so much? They didn’t even know them.

Only two months after the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, our national grief would be unfathomably compounded, as the sitting U.S. President was assassinated. I can’t imagine what that felt like. Those two awful acts would eventually then prompt the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which required equal access to public places and employment and the right to vote; race, color, religion, sex, or national origin were to matter no more. Granted, legislation alone cannot eradicate the evil in people’s hearts. 

While the Act then did not end discrimination, it was a step of tremendous progress. It was a step toward learning how to treat all people well. The stark reality is we oft need a reminder — especially since intelligence and wisdom and age, too, are not the same thing. We need to learn how to love and honor our neighbor well, whoever our neighbor is. We need to learn to be earnest in understanding the circumstances of another, especially when they are not our own. 

I continue to wonder, keenly aware of the hatred that exists still today. Some of it’s based on race. Some of it’s based on religion, sex, politics, too. I wonder if we’re not careful… when will this go too far? 

Respectfully…

AR

the big question of the night

While it’s no secret the Intramuralist believes there are serious integrity questions about each of the remaining presidential candidates (and yes, feel completely free to reach a different conclusion), I was glad to see them finally take the stage together last night. Indeed one of the disservices each of their parties has too generously provided the public is to circumvent the Commission on Presidential Debates; such adds to the question of integrity.

However, much as last night was fascinating — and we had so many questions going into the evening (i.e. will Trump be a bully? … will Harris spin up another word salad? … will Trump attempt to be more conservative? … will Harris attempt to be less liberal? … will they have any authentic policy discussion? … will Trump get rattled? … will Harris be able to keep the election not about her? … will ABC be neutral? …will they treat both sides the same? … will they sacrifice viewers?…). But alas, we digress.

As I watched the two on the staged platform, attempting to make a watching public think they are so wonderful and their opponent is so not, pining for the presidency, one question stood out:

Where’s Joe?

Honest thought.

We were told multiple weeks ago that Pres. Biden was incapable of running for re-election. Not only were we told, we saw it with our own eyes in his only debate. Something is clearly wrong with Biden from a cognitive, processing perspective. 

Of course we’ve heard the spin, PR, politicking, you-name-it… oh, it just happened… we never noticed… he had a cold… it was an off night… all you saw before were deep fakes… manipulated video… people trying to make him look bad… he was fine before now…

Please.

And let me be clear. I say this not as a Trump fan, Harris fan or even current member of either political party…

If Biden was deemed unfit to run by political insiders, why is he fit to still serve as President now?

I mean not to be mean. I absolutely will respect the office regardless of my fandom or vote. I simply question who is currently in charge and how capable they are. 

Who is running the country?

Pres. Biden has had little on his calendar. Vice Pres. Harris has been actively campaigning. Neither have been doing interviews. So again I ask: who is running the country?

Who’s reacting to Hamas?

Who’s responding to the aggression of the Houthis?

Who’s addressing Brazil’s censorship?

Who is doing all of the above and so much more — and putting politics aside for the good of the country?

Friends, the 25th amendment was ratified on February 10th, 1967. It was created for a reason. Its third section states that if the President “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” then “such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.” With absolutely all due respect, noting the current President’s clear decline, why is VP Harris not the acting President now?

Is there something else in play they don’t want the public to know?

Is there someone who needs the situation to remain stagnate in order to hold onto position, power or influence?

I do not claim to know nor do I wish to craft any unreasonable conspiracy theories. But I do claim to ponder. Where is Joe?

Respectfully…

AR

part 2 of 1 day in Rome

We had spent the entire morning at the Vatican, touring the grounds and galleries, culminating with the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. It was a day full of oohs and aahs, mesmerizing, but mostly, simply a day of wonder.

It was also a day of history. There was so much to take in — things we had heard of for all our years but never experienced, never knew what it would feel like to see with our own eyes. Again, it was indeed a day of wonder.

It was now near 2 pm in Central European Summer Time, and we were hungry after the far-more-than-stunning experience. Little did we know the experience would soon become even more beautifully profound.

A friend of Italian heritage had recommended a few restaurants in Rome should we be in need. When exciting Vatican City, we found one which was less than a mile walk, so we decided to stroll in that direction. 

I have to admit. When we saw the spot from the outside — I mean, I love and respect my friend, but — I wasn’t all that impressed with the external. There was no prominent store front, and it kind of seemed a bit of a fairly rough hole in the wall. But hunger surpassed first impressions, so we daringly decided to go inside.

It was a tiny dining room; the dining room/living room of my 3 BR house may be bigger. Not only that, I heard not a one English word. (And for the record, 3 weeks of Italian on Duolingo is clearly not enough to be sufficiently fluent.) But the place was hustling and bustling like crazy. Two Italian brothers, running their restaurant, mastering their craft, and now engaging in a language we did not know, directing us to seats hastily moved together inside. 

Here’s the thing…

We didn’t speak their language.

It didn’t matter.

We didn’t know what to order.

It didn’t matter.

We had never been there before.

None of that mattered.

Dino and Tony and their talented team just brought us thing after thing that they thought we would enjoy. Our only choice was “tinto o blanco” dictating the color of the house beverage. And over the course of the next 2+ hours, they brought speciality after speciality, with food after food to try. We would interact — mostly in two different languages — but it was amazing! The wonder continued. We would laugh and joke and smile and talk in our respective languages. There was love and joy and warmth and authenticity. It was fantastic!

At the end of the meal, they brought us the bill — which was nothing we had discussed but was completely appropriate — and accompanied it with 10 shot glasses soon to be filled with limoncello. But there were only 7 people in our party. They poured 3 glasses for themselves! 

And in a toast to what fellowship really is — not allowing anything else to get in the way — we had the most wonderful time! We were sad to exit, and of course, we certainly couldn’t do so without the tradition of kisses on both cheeks, displaying our clear, generous affection for one another.

I learned something that day. We were immersed in a culture other than our own. It wasn’t life, food, pace like we knew it. But we joined in, trusted them, did what they did, allowed ourselves to learn from them, and experienced a bit of their world together. They showed love and care for us in a way known best to them. And it was so, so good. 

Walking away in prolonged wonder, it was abundantly clear that sometimes, we simply make life too hard. We let too much get in the way… and miss the available, abundant joy when sharing sweet fellowship together.

Respectfully…

AR

part 1 of 1 day in Rome

What a day (… and note there’s a bigger point coming; it will take a few minutes to get there…)

This day in Rome began with a long planned trip to Vatican City, the city-state embedded in Rome, which serves as the global headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. There were swarms of people there; in fact, there were no more tickets said to be sold for the day. Soon the summer heat would be swarming as well.

Our semi-private tour started with the grounds and museums of the Vatican, visiting many of the 54 galleries. In addition to the people, there is amazing art seemingly everywhere… Bellini, da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael… Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse and so many more… Some 70,000 works of art exist in the Vatican museums, although only 20,000 are visible to the public. Regardless, to call it “stunning” still doesn’t seem strong enough.

We walked through both tapered halls and expansive display rooms… lined by columns, marble, Roman travertine and more, as the museums house some of the most prominent Roman sculptures and Renaissance paintings. The works are both old and new… and yes, far more than stunning. For example… 

We strolled through the Chiaramonti Museum — named after Pope Pius VII Chiaramonti (1800-1823) — where sculpture after sculpture lines the domed hall. (Note: I may have chuckled at least once with evidence of the political correctness police, which some years ago mandated sculpted fig leafs be added to each male model… alas…).

Soon came both the Gallery of Tapestries and Gallery of Maps. The unique collection in each is eye-dropping, with the tapestries depicting specific moments in the life of Jesus, such as the Last Supper. The room of maps, on the other hand, feature painted works depicting the entire Italian peninsula. 

Arguably most in need of words other than stunning or striking, is the last of the museums, the Sistine Chapel. Interestingly, there are stern instructions given prior to entrance insisting upon silence and the removal of hats; the goal no doubt is reverence; it’s a good question: can reverence be commanded? Interesting, too, once inside, voices were immediately raised and talking commenced. I would not conclude, however, that the increased sound was synonymous with an absence of reverence. 

The chapel was spectacular, highlighted by Michelangelo’s nothing short of profound The Creation of Adam, the fresco which the artist said was inspired by the scripture in Genesis saying “God created man in his own image.” The touch of their fingers gives life and breath to humankind.

Before exiting the chapel, we came face-to-face with The Last Judgment, painted on the 42 foot high, 39 foot wide wall, the massive masterpiece depicting the juxtaposition of entering or not the Kingdom of Heaven.

The oohs and aahs continued as we exited the museums and entered St. Peter’s Basilica. Let me simply say this: for us, the reverence only increased. The artwork, altars and architecture are spectacular and at times spectacularly ornate (… another note here… I had hoped to share what it was like to stand in front of La Pietà, Michelangelo’s first great work, the magnificent sculpture where a devastated Mary holds a lifeless Jesus… due to preparation for Rome’s Jubilee of 2025, it’s not open to the public; this public shall return…).

No doubt this post is laced with tangent details. There was simply so much to see, so much to experience…

But as alluded to, noting the point of the post of the first half of this day would be slightly delayed… as I walked through all of the above, overcome with authentic wonder, one question kept coming to mind…

Thinking of The Creation of Adam, even La Pietà, all that artwork… what inspired the artist? 

What real thing inside of them drove and enabled them to craft such a masterful, meaningful work of art?

It had to be big. It had to be real. And it had to be something amazing.

I wonder.

Respectfully…

AR