Domes, Beaches, and Our Future

My family and I recently had the opportunity to visit Florence, Italy. Even though we were there during an historic heat wave, we managed to climb the steps of Giotto’s Bell Tower that overlooked the Duomo of the Florence Cathedral.

It is fascinating to me that the building took 140 years to complete. More so, because when they began the work in 1296 AD, the plans called for a dome based on ancient Roman design. The issue was, at the time of its conception, the technology on how to build such a structure had been lost during the Dark Ages.

The Florentines knew, though, that if they began the foundational work, their posterity would eventually find a solution. They also knew they would never see the completion of the Cathedral in their own lifetime.

That is, to say, they knew that the project itself was more important for the future generations of their city, even if they did not reap the benefits personally.

As I pondered that anecdote at the top of the Bell Tower, my heart and mind wandered back home. Just as the