Life is filled with so many choices. They are usually broken down into two choices. We are filled with decision after decision. Just one choice after another. Should I go left or right? Up or down? Do I give up today for tomorrow? All these choices and the road ahead is always straight. All short cuts bring you right back to the road you tried to avoid. The man on the road is wearing both blue and red representing the choices he has not made yet. With dangers all around, we must always venture forward. Although he hasn’t arrived there yet, even the doors on the buildings have some choices laid out. 

     When Tamu & I came to the Chamber of commerce we were not sure which direction to go. It felt like we were in a dessert. Uncertainty is a danger of its own. We met Nancy Dudchik and she smiled at us and has been nothing short of a blessing for us and our business. Nancy is always available to help and to assist us. Nancy has been our Daisy in the desert.  

This painting is both a tribute and a continuation to my father’s legacy. Drawing on the powerful imagery that defined my father’s work, the piece revisits the cotton fields—not just as sites of oppression, but as enduring symbols of memory, labor, and survival. Through bold figures and vibrant storytelling, I aimed to honor the voices of the past while asserting my own perspective, bridging generations through art and shared history.

My father wanted his story to be told after his passing and he wanted people to know he still felt trapped in a lot of ways. He felt like those chains were still on him. That he was never really free because he was haunted by his memories and his dreams. He wanted his suffering to have meaning, he wanted his work to continue. 

     Knowledge flows like a river and cotton fields tend to not have rivers flowing through them. Like time if you do go with the flow you can be swept away with regret and wishing for things to change. Passing on and handing down is the only way we keep from repeating the past and it is the only way we have culture. Until we can truly pass down knowledge, we will never have a culture. We will always be wearing these shackles.

There is so much to do during the day. Chores from childhood become responsibilities as adults. Taking time for yourself, especially as a nurturer feels selfish at times. But it is necessary to reenergize and get through life. When we do take that time for ourselves, we can draw so much energy from things around us, if we just take the time to listen. We can draw energy from the birds in the trees, the flowers and the thin natural air. Diane does so much during the course of her day. I hope she sees this and it reminds her to take a little bit of time for herself. My wife's calm spirit and demeanor is owed to this woman. She is always giving and never asking. For you Diane, the Queen of Hearts.