This is a story of a young man born during the Great Depression who experiences a traumatic injury at the age of nine and spends years recovering. He hides his scars and becomes an exceptional public speaker in high school winning two national first place awards. His life after high school is and odyssey of trading one profession for another ending up teaching art in Ohio. He marries and has three children, but eventually is divorced by his loveless wife. He recalls a love affair from his early years in San Francisco before his marriage when he hears doctor Amy Jordan's voice on PBS radio in his car. He re-establishes contact with Amy and begins a long exchange of letters and emails with the mutual understanding that she is married and cannot break her vows. A one sided friendship is established. He has dabbled in art his entire life and settles into teaching classical painting to give voice to his passion for beauty. He decides to paint like Vermeer and ends up painting all of Vermeer's paintings. He reproduces all the painting in their original sizes. He has a show of these paintings at the North Canton Little Art Gallery in Canton, Ohio and settles into teaching and maintaining his love/friendship with Amy.