Page 28 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2023

MICHAEL LA FAVE / CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
IT IS A STRANGE FEELING TO THINK THAT SOMEONE MIGHT WANT TO readmymusings.It’snotsomethingItakelightly,andIalwayschallenge myself when writing these letters to reference either an experience I’ve had or an observation I’ve made that may be relevant to you. I think about how I might add something useful, humorous, or inspiring to your days and in what ways our experiences may be alike and/or different. In fact, that is the very point of this publication — one now so beautifully imagined and rendered by my colleagues more than myself.
On Moving
Many, though by no means all, of us SHARP men and women are ei- ther at a similar point in our lives, have been or will be. With each passing year, however, I am older than our average reader and it’s critical that this column stays relevant — fueled by what is to come rather than what was.
The last few years have led me to seriously evaluate my priorities, ambitions, and desires. I doubt that comes as a surprise to anyone who knows me, and probably applies to many of you as well. In doing so, I’ve been able to return to the vision of how I hoped to live, which is to move to the country and spend more time on creative pursuits. My wife and I have long imagined we’d have a home in the country and a pied-à-terre in the city, though we never really knew when that might make sense for our family, friends or careers. Increasingly, however, the city, for us, has become a place to visit — but not to live.
Of course, the determining factor was what’s best for our son, but also for the family as a unit. I’m delighted to say we’ve found a solution that we think will enrich all of our lives and satisfy this life-long ambition. For our son, an education better suited to his nature than the one he is receiving now, but also one that will challenge his generation’s inclination to exclusively interact with the world on a screen. For my wife and I, a more serene and beautiful environment, one that will foster inspiration and engender focus.
While I will spend a couple of days a week in the city for business, we believe this reversal of where we live and where we visit is shifting the balance in the right direction. With family and several close friends having moved out of the city already, and a few more considering it, this really does feel like the right time. I’m excited about this new chapter in our lives and the new experiences it will create, and in turn how I’ll be able to share them with you here, in these letters and through the pages of SHARP.
28 BFM / FW23 LETTER
PHOTO BY MATT BARNES.