Something I have started thinking a lot about recently, and especially on this trip is the process of creation. Some of the most impressive feats in the human world are those when an artist, or an engineer, or an entire civilization have turned a mere idea, something entirely insubstantial, into a physical monument to their creativity and will. Not only have I been able to see modern products being produced on this trip, but I have witnessed countless buildings and pieces of art, many of which were years in the making. Yesterday, we visited Firenze (Florence) and got to climb to the top of Brunelleschi's Duomo. This building took hundreds of years to build and still stands as one of the largest churches in all of Europe.
The climb to the top seems to stand representative of the process it would take to create something so grand. When the process begins, and you only have an idea, it is almost like standing at the base of the building. Standing so close, some details may be clearer than others in your mind, but it is difficult to get a real picture of the potential scale and grandeur that your idea holds. In the middle of developing and building your idea it is easy to get lost in the details and not appreciate that every step you take and every brick you lay is adding to the beauty of the whole. Similarly, climbing up the cramped spiral staircases enclosed within the walls made it is easy to feel that you are only making yourself dizzy.
And then, with almost no warning, you breach the outer wall and surface to the top. In an instant, your hard work has been paid off. You can see the worth of it all. In the process of creation this is the moment where you finally get that feeling that it was worth the effort. Maybe it is a compliment you receive from a trusted friend, or the sales booming, but something tells you that you have succeeded. I look forward to having many more of these moments in the future.
An incredible view from the top of the Duomo!