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Tue, June 19, 2018 | 06:06

Opinion > Columnists > Hyon O'Brien >

Did you learn something today?

Walter Isaacson's remarkable 2017 biography of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) concludes with a list of the key characteristics of the genius. Three of Leonardo's traits that particularly stood out for me were being constantly curious, observing everything in detail, and retaining a childlike sense of wonder.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-06-17 17:31

Strength in diversity

We just returned from a two-week tour of Morocco in North Africa. Seventeen of us traveled. All of us were American citizens who came from different states and backgrounds. However, we all had one thing in common: the Peace Corps. Four had served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco, two in Tunisia, others in Malaysia, Belize, Costa Rica, Korea, Brazil, Mali and Jordan at different times. The remaining four are spouses of those who served: interestingly, these spouses represented four countries, Turkey, Korea, Australia and America.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-05-18 17:17

My recent trip to Guatemala opened my eyes to the mystery of the lost civilization of the Mayans, and how it was rediscovered.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-04-20 16:47

For 25 years I have been a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (generally known as the P.E.O. Sisterhood). Its aim has been “women empowering women through education,” now rephrased as “women helping women reach for the stars.” Since it was founded in 1869 by seven Christian women who graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership to more than 250,000 members in chapters through the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-03-23 17:02

I first got my own dog in May, 1970 when we moved to Daegu, Korea and inherited a mutt. The dog's name was Ralph, which had been transformed into “Lappi” in Korean pronunciation.

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-02-23 18:01

Smile, laugh and repeat

We just returned from a two-week trip to India cruising the River Ganges from Kolkata to the holy city of Varanasi. Among the myriad visual images I brought back from this awesome trip, if someone were to ask me what will remain in my memory years from now, I’d say without hesitation that I will never forget the smiles on the faces of the people of India. In Kolkata we made a short visit to Mother Teresa’s (1910-1997) mission center, the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, where we could view her tomb. The Missionaries of Charity have grown to almost 6,000 sisters, brothers and prie...

Hyon O'Brien | 2018-01-26 16:24

Educate tomorrow

In 1869, seven Christian women graduating from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, founded an organization with the motto “Women Empowering Other Women through Education” and called it P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization). From this small group of women the membership has grown to nearly a quarter of a million. Every state in the United States and every province in Canada have chapters. In the 148 years since its founding, P.E.O. has educated over 102,000 women through scholarships, grants and loans as well as its stewardship of P.E.O.-owned Cottey College (founded in 1...

Hyon O'Brien | 2017-12-29 17:59

Advice from a palm tree

We just returned from a 25 day-long vacation cruise in the South Pacific, ending in Sydney. I must have taken at least 5,000 pictures during the trip. And more than 10 percent of those photos were of palm trees. My fascination with palm trees began in October 1969 in Hilo, Hawaii, the instant I saw real palm trees for the first time. I was one of the Korean language teachers hired for a Peace Corps training program that was held in Pepekeo, a little town about 30 minutes outside of Hilo in the middle of sugar cane fields. I think the “love at first sight” phenomenon happens only a few times ...

Hyon O'Brien | 2017-12-01 17:44

Ever since we returned home to Miami Beach after Hurricane Irma struck in mid-September, it seems that every day has consisted of ceaseless waiting as we deal with damage to our apartment. First we waited for the company that deals with water-damaged walls to remove moisture. Industrial strength dehumidifiers worked for four full days to get the soggy drywall down to an acceptable moisture level. Then we waited for the mold tester. Because so many similarly affected people needed the same service, it was a slow process. Next, the mold removal crew encased the kitchen with plastic covers to r...

Hyon O'Brien | 2017-11-03 17:50

Complain or contribute?

I grew up in the 1950s in Wonju, Gangwon Province, with five brothers and one older sister in a cramped household. One thing we learned quickly was not to complain. Not about not having enough personal space and not about having enough clothing and shoes. We never mentioned that we wanted more meat. We knew that no matter how much we complained the end results would be the same. We all accepted the fact that everyone was going through the same hard times, and didn’t try to do anything about it but just accepted our fate. Some people don’t complain, but are galvanized to do something to right...

Hyon O'Brien | 2017-08-11 17:25

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