Who Would You Like to Meet?

At a luncheon in Chicago, I was seated next to Jesse Owens in 1956. We didn't reminisce about his track and field victories at Hitler's 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. We discussed why attitudes toward race were different in suburban Chicago and other areas of the city.

     The Atlantic magazine ends each issue on its last page by asking readers to respond to a question. In June, 2018, the question was: "Which two historical figures would you most like to introduce to each other?" It is a question young and old anywhere in the world can and should pose to each other.

     Reader responses reminded us to recognize the enduring influence of people from diverse backgrounds, such as Julia Child, Albert Einstein, Louis Braille, and Mother Teresa.

     Why readers wanted to hear the conversations of the people they introduced revealed interesting topics. One wondered what Alexander Hamilton would tell Lin-Manuel Miranda he got right and wrong in his prize-winning musical.

     Another wanted Barack Obama to show Abraham Lincoln "the fruits of his enormous accomplishment."

     What would Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla chat about over coffee, a woman wondered. And then, someone thought William Shakespeare and Mae West would realize they both live on through their quotable remarks.

   

What Makes A City Perfect?

In his recent book about Leonardo Da Vinci, Walter Isaacson listed what, to Benedetto Dei in 1472, made Florence, Italy, perfect. See if you would apply these criteria to judge what cities have to have to be perfect today. What would you add to or subtract from Benedetto's list?

A Perfect City Would Have

1. Complete liberty

2. A large, rich, and elegantly dressed population

3. A river with clear, pure water and mills within its walls

4. Jurisdiction over castles, towns, lands and people

5. A university that teaches both Greek and accounting

6. Masters in every art: architecture, art, weaving, wood carving, literature, philosophy

7. Banks and business agents all over the world

In what order would you list the qualities that Benedetto used? And what order would you use for your list?