Thoughts
Desiderata
It’s been a while and a great deal has happened since I decided to record something for you – Coronavirus, the final severing of the UK from the EU, the end of Trump and the beginning of Biden – and it made me think of a book that I inherited from my mother. The book itself is tiny, filled with the most remarkable illustrations, and the name aroused my curiosity in the early 80s, shortly after I learned to read. The title of the book was Desiderata, the author Max Ehrmann, and the contents unforgettable. I’ve read the words a thousand times and a thousand times, the poem, for that is what it is, has given me hope, and today I’d love to pay it forward and share that with you.
Do you inadvertently turn your statements into questions? Here’s why to stop (and how).
Raising your pitch at the end of a statement makes that statement sound like a question. Whether you’re communicating in person, online, or over the phone, this speech pattern can make you sound less confident, less credible, and uncertain about your content. This article talks about why we do it, and how to stop.
Full-length versions of Euripides’ & Seneca’s Trojan Women
If, like me, you're working with Eurpides' and Seneca's Troades or Trojan Women texts, you might find it helpful to see how modern theatre groups interpret these works. Obviously I was, which is why I spent several days scouring the internet and watching all the plays...
A beautiful watch
About 10 years ago, my father gave me a beautiful watch that had once belonged to my grandmother. I wore it on and off, and shortly after my father died, I went out and in the course of the evening, it slipped off my wrist and I couldn't find it. I knew that the strap...
Being a company owner in the UK: the end of the affair
I grew up with a British-born father, who, even though he moved over to South Africa at the tender age of 3 years old, was quite the lover of the mother country. In some respects, he was more British than that Brits, having been brought up as an immigrant in a new...
Hokusai says… Don’t be afraid (with thanks to Roger Keyes)
Roger Keyes kindly gave me permission to record and share he wonderful poem, “Hokusai Says”, and I am grateful, so it’s a great fit for Random Acts of Suzanne!
The Man in New Orleans
After much deliberation I’ve started a personal podcast that I am calling “Random Acts of Suzanne” in which I plan to chat about “Random Acts of Kindness”. This is the first episode and it features a short story about a chap I met in New Orleans in 2001.
Are we just going in circles? Maybe not.
I came across an incredibly inspiring quote today from Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”. If you’ve ever felt despair, convinced that the human race is trapped in an unbreakable circle, then this is for you.
In Defence of Open-Mindedness
Last week, we stayed in a lovely B&B in a medieval town called Dürnstein in Lower Austria. The people were wonderful, the food delicious, the wine even better but the weather… Meh. It could have been better, especially considering that my winter and cold-weather...
Literacy first, please
I’m a big supporter of literacy projects, whatever the language, and whilst oral storytelling imparts a number of literacy skills, the ability to actually read is fundamental, and often something that readers take for granted. With literacy in mind, I thought I’d...
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Ponte: Tower of DreamsIn Articles, South Africa
