by Susan Mattern | Jul 5, 2019 | Finding Purpose in Life, Human Connection, Values
I belong to Toastmasters, a great organization, and I remember an international speech a few years ago where the speaker stood on stage holding a white piece of paper. In the middle of the paper was a red mark. The first thing you saw was the red. It stood out. You...
by Susan Mattern | Jan 26, 2019 | Filters, Human Connection, Life
I was thinking about Donald Trump the other day. Don’t worry, this blog isn’t going to be about politics. Really! I was thinking about how people see him so differently. A majority of Americans think he’s a terrible president, should be impeached,...
by Susan Mattern | Dec 15, 2018 | Convent, Human Connection, Power of Music
Two hundred years ago, a parish priest in Germany struggled to write a musical accompaniment to a Christmas poem he had written. He had worked on it for a few years but wasn’t satisfied with it. On the morning of December 24th, he asked the music director at his...
by Susan Mattern | Oct 7, 2018 | Human Connection
I was a guest at a wonderful wedding recently. A long-time Pakistani friend, the bride, got married to a young man of Irish Catholic heritage. The wedding took place here in Orange County. What a delightful blend of cultures. The bride wore a traditional Pakistani...
by Susan Mattern | Jun 17, 2018 | Friendship, Human Connection, Istanbul, Life, Travel
Rick Steves, the travel expert, wrote an editorial in the LA Times last year. His message was: “Afraid of terrorism? Get on a plane!” We are so bombarded by reports of terrorism that we forget that most people are just like us –– not just in the...
