Michael Jordan vs. Michelangelo

A common question people ask me and all other travelers is, "Where are you from?". In the beginning I was true to my roots and told people that I was from the DC area. My response would get interesting and negative reactions about Bush, the U.S., the economy, etc. At first it was very interesting to hear the different perceptions that other countries have of us. It would spark up great conversations and debates that were eye opening for me. After awhile, it got a little exhausting so I changed my "Where are you from?" response to, "I´m from Chicago." People began to respond with joy and excitement because of Michael Jordan. "Do you see Michael Jordan?" or "Michael Jordan is incredible!" and some have even asked "Are you friends with Michael Jordan." Yeah, he is one of my boys and I hang out with MJ at Hangge Uppes on the weekends. I always knew MJ was a superstar but it is still neat to see his star power continue so far across the world.

Obviously people are famous for good things and bad things. Everyone knows who Bin Laden is but not for good reasons. Hearing these positive responses about MJ made me think about other influential people in our lifetime and I have to put Míchelangelo on that list. NOW, I wouldn´t have put him on this list had I not been spending this time learning about him. When I toured the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and saw his David sculpture in Florence I was blown away by his many talents. This guy was the MJ of painting, sculpting, and architecture. Seriously, anyone that is clueless and indifferent to Art would walk away amazed.

I took a few Art History classes in high school and college but I didn´t really pay too much attention. I just memorized what I had to in order to get a good grade. Now at 30 yrs old, I´m the nerd that is following the tour guide around asking him to elaborate more and begging him to discuss further insights that he has about art history. Michelangelo completed a lot of his famous pieces including the Sistine Chapel in his 20s and earlz 30s. As we all know, the cieling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most recognized art frescoes in the world. The line to get in to the chapel wrapped around the Vatican twice! Fortunately I didn´t have to wait because I signed up for a guide. It was incredible to see the many different faces from all over the world standing in line to see his work. This is when I realized that Michelangelo blows away MJ in star power. Both were the greatest in their respective fields. The major differences would be the length of the star power along with the people that they have influenced and continue to influence.

Michelangelo´s influence has been going on since the late 1400s....over 600 zears! MJ´s presence has been around since the mid 80s...so about 25 zears (still very impressive). Michelangelo continues to influence and inspire all nationalities, ages, and personalities. MJ does too but in a lesser scale compared to Michelangelo. Ex. My parents would be into Michelangelo over MJ. Prior to coming to Italy I would have said MJ would be more inspiring to me. After seeing what Michelangelo has done it´s no contest. Michelangelo dominated the art world and reshaped European history and culture. He put his "A" game towards everything he attempted in his career, even if he didn´t want to. I learned that he never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel but the Pope made him so he reluctantly did. He could have half assed it but he didn´t. A masterpiece was the end result. He designed the dome of St.Peter´s Basilica when he was 71 years old. At 71 years old I thought he would lose his edge and not be in his prime...not the case for Michelangelo. The dome of the Basilica is now a defining feature of the Vatican thanks to his design. Clearly Michelangelo has left an incredible legacy that will continue for many years.

Seeing his many incredible works made me think about my life and I started to ask myself, "What will I accomplish in my lifetime? What do I want to be remembered for?" I would love to be the Michelangelo of so many things. I want to live a purpseful life that has a positive impact on me and others. I feel like these past 8 months haven´t been my best "A" game because I´ve let my job dissatisfaction get the best of me. It´s a shame because everything else in my life is wonderful. I look forward to these next few months of constantly learning new things and learning about myself. I can´t wait to come home and start the next chapter of my life. Until then, I will continue to enjoy my time abroad and start putting that "A" game on NOW.

PREVIEW...my next blog will be about the interesting people that I´ve been meeting.