I bought a new painting for my apartment the other day. I found it in SoHo. It's one of a kind and it's pretty epic. Besides being a "Star Wars" fan in general, I love the way the artist (Ron Wiggins) composed this painting. While describing it to a friend, I explained that it has a lot of personable, intimate qualities. You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the Storm Trooper isn't just a faceless soldier -- he (or she) is a person with feelings and desires. The eyes have a lot of emotion. The painting hints (in a stylized way) that the Storm Trooper is reaching out, presumably holding a weapon. But it also (from certain angles) looks like he's reaching out for someone to take his hand. I keep this work of art in my home office because it helps me to manage my frustration when I'm dealing with people who seem like they are blindly taking orders and passing on misinformation to me. I sometimes forget the struggles that others go through, and how sometimes it is easier just to do what you're told, even when you know it's wrong. I look at the painting and remember that sometimes the one doling out pain and anguish is going through plenty of it too. In this painting, what I see is a Storm Trooper who is perhaps rethinking his or her identity and life path. He or she appears mid-transition. Perhaps this Storm Trooper is tired of blindly following commands. He's alone, reaching out, considering what it might be like to live life in service of him (or her)self, not some oppressive force. He's thinking about freeing himself.