D. J. Lafon

It was in 1979 that I had my first encounter with an art calendar. At that time Ben Pickard lived in Crown Heights. His gallery was in the basement of his home. I lived close by and would visit him at least once a month, enthralled by the stories he would tell me about his stable of artists and art. So naturally, I turned to him to help me find art to put in my office at the University of Oklahoma, where I had gotten my first job after receiving my Ph.D. Of course, Ben had several paintings and prints I loved, but could not begin to afford. Then he pulled out this large calendar of signed prints of contemporary artists. It was wonderful!...

Today I received a handwritten note from a friend that said: “Happiness is 2020 in a rearview mirror.” While that may not be entirely true, I think most of us certainly breathed a sigh of relief as we welcomed 2021 with gratitude for our individual survival...

The act, psychology, content, purpose and the intrinsic reward of “Work” has always fascinated me. Growing up, I would interview almost every adult I met, even perfect strangers, about the kind of work they did, how they got their job, and whether or not they liked it. From a very young age, I desperately wanted a job. Of course my parents would tell me that my job, was to go to school and make good grades. I would counter by telling them that I needed a real job so I could practice working...

While searching my home library this past week for something to read that had the perfect blend of escapism, wisdom, and emotion, I came across a book I purchased a few years ago, but had not yet read, "Leonardo's Brain" by Leonard Shlain, a famed author and surgeon. I took Leonardo downstairs, curled up in my favorite and most comfortable chair and started to read about something we are all learning, that in order to truly live and function in contemporary society we must train both our right and left brain to coexist.

Never in our lifetime, have we seen or heard so much news of illness and death. To me, the most startling realization is that thousands of people are dying without the comfort of their families and without their lives being properly honored...