(Post 2 of 3)

“I have been happy in so many ways. I have traveled and seen the world and felt part of the world.” Margrét began her career with a newspaper, but she didn’t want to become an old journalist (“a piece of furniture” as she puts it), so she moved on. She got her law degree when she was 50 years old. She held a term as a judge. She completed her Masters in International Law and Human Rights when she was 62. She worked for the United Nations in Kosovo at 67. Along the way she became the chairperson of Amnesty International in Iceland. She married, had two children and divorced. She traveled through Central America. She developed a passion for classical music.

At 79, she reads BBC, CNN, Al-jazeera and Sky every day for the news.

Eric and I came for a cup of coffee and ended up staying the night. We made supper while Margrét rested and then talked into the evening with Mozart playing in the background. “I was twelve years old when I first listened to a symphony orchestra, and all the time since then you know, classical music has been a very great source of joy for me. It’s a whole world. It’s the most beautiful world there is.”

Photo by Eric Guth.