Mary Elizabeth Williams: A Life in Opera from Philadelphia to Milan (Episode #34, 30 Apr. 2021)

Whoa... This was probably one of my best podcasts so far.  I interviewed one of the most delightful, balanced, and wise people that I personally know, Mary Elizabeth Williams.  We discuss in depth, her career as an opera star, the obstacles, the triumphs, and the wisdom that she has acquired along the way. Mary and I attended Luther College together in the mid-90s.  I got to know her because we were both in Nordic Choir together for two years.  At the time, she seemed destined to become an opera star, but as we discussed during this episode, that destiny wasn't always so sure.  There were moments when it didn't appear so inevitable. Gulp, at one point, she even considered becoming a lawyer! I love being a lawyer, but the world would have lost an incredible treasure if she didn't align with her life's purpose, to impart beauty and passion to the world through charismatic personality and voice.  This would have been roughly akin to Einstein considering becoming an insurance salesman prior to discovering relativity.  Thank goodness she chose opera! In addition to opera, we discussed a self care strategy, book recommendation, and we even discuss an intriguing aspect of her father's life in France during WWII, a life so interesting that I think Mary should write an inspired by real life novel about that part of her father's life. This cast was a delightful journey for me, learning from such an intriguing and passionate soul.  This was a fun one!!