Responsibility, as I see it, is two-fold. One must lead a responsible life personally in order to be responsible to others. That is why I depict the statue with two hands reaching. One hand represents ourselves, the other hand represents humanity or God – those we wish to serve – those we wish to be responsible to. In my mind, it’s comparable to the yin and the yang – one cannot exist without the other, and it takes both to fully exist. One cannot give what one does not have. We truly must nourish and school our own souls before we can give to and teach others. And yet, isn’t that one of the great conundrums of this journey we call life? In order to fill our own reservoirs, we must first serve others. Which is more important, and in what order? I’m not sure. I do know that both are vital for a complete and fulfilled life.

I believe that true fulfillment in life comes with the relationships we create. That is why I’ve chosen to depict the two hands clenched together in assistance and fellowship. It is that connect-edness that makes great things happen. It is those friendships that engender respect, honor, and the dignity that we all seek and deserve.

The reaching hands representing ourselves and others, serves as a gathering place for other interpretations and discussions of responsibility. I envision a park, a beautiful pathway at the foot of the Statue of Responsibility, where artists from other countries around the world, will display their creative interpretation of responsibility in the form of sculptures up to 30 feet tall. Visitors will get a truly international message that the principle of freedom, as supported by liberty and responsibility, is a universal message for freedom loving people the world over.