On Thursday, October 6th, Woods resident Don Gralen, presented to the KBH Community, “The Art of Andrew Wyeth”. Andrew Wyeth is one of the most important 21st century artists from the U.S. and was known especially for his Realist and Regionalism paintings. The presentation took place in the KBH Great Lounge and was attended by various residents and staff. Don is an extremely active community member and has lived by the ethos: The Life of the Mind. In Don’s own words he summarizes what The Life of the Mind means to Him:
“I have long been convinced that the life of the mind was more important than any or all of my various games: golf, bridge, chess, gardening, and those I have forgotten. In essence I considered them diversions, pleasurable and important at the times I did them, but not of the essence in the long run. I may have developed this view of life as a result of an early exposure to Thoreau and Emerson which I treasured when I encountered them.”
Long a civic leader and a proponent of community involvement, Don transitioned to the KBH community with a vision for quality care and services, socialization and happiness among new neighbors. Within a short time, Don found himself volunteering to lead several resident programs that have drawn equal interest among his newly acquired friends. Don endorses his ongoing commitment to activities by sharing meaningful purpose for himself and others.
“My wife, Jane, and I moved to KBH almost 11 years ago. We brought with us the strong conviction that the paramount value in life is The Life of the Mind. To foster this at KBH, I started a Non-Fiction Book Club that meets every six weeks for a discussion of a book of my choosing. In one group meeting the club shared a lively discussion on “Hillbilly Elegy,” by J. D. Vance. I also spearhead a Current Events discussion group that meets monthly to share conversations on three or four topics. Recent gatherings have included talks on “black holes,” and “space probes,” for which research material was made available to participants in advance. I see these activities as life enriching contributions to life at KBH.”
As Don shares his interests with fellow KBH residents, he brings enlightenment to those who welcome opportunities to connect and converse with others. He helps to perpetuate The Life of the Mind – while engaging in expressive and intelligent discussions.
