Mewwitt

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, many American attitudes toward the Middle East and Islam were quite negative and, in some cases, openly hostile. I found my world turned upside down and felt as though my childhood was suddenly over. The time had come to make my own decisions about other countries and peoples, relying no more on the perspectives of family and friends. It was a defining turning point of my life, but once I became caught up in university applications and music school auditions, the events of that terrible day faded into the background. Never did I imagine that I, myself, would one day journey to those distant lands. Sometime over the Christmas holiday, I had a conversation with my Mom about her long-held desire to ... read more

I recently had dinner with 15 high school students from China at a well-known Minneapolis eatery called the Old Spaghetti Factory. As we were leaving, a table of six stopped me to inquire if they were all mine. They were joking, but in a funny way, the sentiment rang true. The students arrived on the rather ominous date of Friday, July 13th. They were going to be participating in the pilot year of a four-week leadership training program that I had spent April through July creating and scheduling. If the program were deemed a success, it had the potential to become an annual thing that would include prospective students from countries all over the world. So, no pressure. While designing the program curriculum, I took many factors into account: the importance of finding dedicated, competent core ... read more

I recently attended a concert that was held in Central Lutheran Church of Minneapolis. The concert itself was marvelous, incorporating the powerful voices of a brass quintet, the emotional response of the 80-member choir, and the triumphant swells of the pipe organ. As soon as I walked in, though, I was overcome by the simple significance of the fact that the concert was being held in a church. Half of the pieces in the program included the words 'God', 'Lord', or 'King'. As the concert progressed, I surveyed the audience of hundreds. Some were listening with their eyes closed, some with half-smiles, some nodding in rhythm to the piece. Out of habit, I scanned the back of the room for the omnipresent government officials sitting in to make sure that nothing was threatening the State. There ... read more

Her face crumpled and her eyes filled with tears. Her lower lip quivered and she buried her head in her arms on the kitchen table as her shoulders shook with sobs. My Chinese host sister had just found out that I was moving back to the United States and she was devastated. I felt terrible. I think it is always easier on the person leaving than on those left behind. It had been a difficult week, informing my boss and coworkers that I would no longer be working with them, telling my friends that I was returning to my homeland, and now I had to break my host sister's heart. I was at peace with my decision, but it had not been an easy one to make. For a period of time, I had been uncertain ... read more