What man said it best when he wanted to express the feeling of being in motion? Was it Walt Whitman who sang of “[the] long pulsation, ebb and flow of endless motion” and of “the tones of unseen mystery”? Underneath Whitman’s loyalty to the dream of his beloved nation were powerful, muscular figures outlined like the Gods of Olympus, faithfully pursuing their lives with simple gravitas. Of course, the beauty to Whitman was in the practical, in the pursuit itself. This thinking isn’t far from Confucius’ own, although Confucius had a particular appetite for familial harmony. He said “While your parents are alive, do not travel far away. And if you do travel, be sure to have a specific destination”. Motion for Confucius must be in relation to those around you, must be considered in terms of the gains and losses of your most precious human relationships. This hierarchical ordering is essential to Confucian thinking and, by extension, Chinese public discourse. But maybe this isn’t totally correct. Maybe it was no man at all that spoke most poignantly about being in motion. What woman said it best? Frida Kahlo’s biography necessitated that she think about permanence and ends. She said “I paint flowers so they will not die”; and so she painted herself. That which is permanent is unmoving and an unmoved mover in a sea of change. Barbara Kruger sees art as a means of commentary, of noticing our current moment and building a bridge into the future by objectifying and displaying experiences for mass audiences in a sort of forward-motion. But maybe Royce did say it best when he said “to be in charge of life is always an occasion for loyalty.”