The first phone call I received was from Russia. After witnessing on TV the catastrophes of September 11, 2001, my friends and business partners were calling to share their shock and advising me to “stay inside.” New York, and certainly Moscow, seemed far away—but not anymore. It was all one world.
Now, ten years later, we still mourn the tragic losses, but also we have moved on and must recognize the resulting opportunity and its effects. It was, in a way, a loud and tragic reminder of ongoing global social change. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” wrote Einstein. How have we responded to that opportunity?
In 2001, terrorism certainly shocked America out of a sense of complacency. America is indeed exceptional, geographically an island of relative prosperity between two vast oceans and two friendly neighbors. That, even today, is still taken for granted by many. But the fall of the Twin Towers was a fire that shaped a generation of American youth and shook us all with the fact we are globally one people and that dividing borders are melting away.
The American youth learned they were not alone in the world and that other cultures were there to discover and understand. Studying about or in the Middle East has grown rapidly since then and Arabic is being learned by many. But the most important realization is how valuable we are to each other. The meaning of “united we stand” has taken on greater meaning: witness the great citizen help in natural disasters as well as planned ones. The devastating hurricanes and present day wildfires are examples. People race to help neighbors, or even strangers. And this reaches across borders, ethnic and religious walls, and tends to unite us all as part of the greater human family. Americans knew at once of the tragic crash in Russia that killed the Yaroslavl ice hockey team and they openly expressed their sorrow. It is certainly the internet and i-phones that globally connect us, but it is also a growing sense of brotherhood and trust that is knitting us all together.
Of course this is all supported with the increased governmental and individual alertness to terrorism and threats of any kind and the readiness to take immediate and appropriate action. We must be alert to threats and cannot wear blinders in this age. But, also in this growing sense of responsibility for our respective nations and others is the replacing of fear with a confidence in national strength and meaning, and an unbiased respect for the integrity of man. And underlying all this is a growing sense of the value of forgiveness. If we, as victims or friends of victims can lift our thoughts above the mists of hate and revenge, of fear and insecurity, we all benefit. Leo Tolstoy said it: "Let us forgive each other - only then will we live in peace."
This analysis may define a relatively small percent of the affected populace, but it is happening. In many places this tenth anniversary of 9/11 is in the form of a celebration. With a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to grow out of disaster we become stronger and better people.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
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The column is about the ideas and stories generated from the 20 years the author spent living and doing business in Russia. Often about conflict and resolution, these tales at times reveal the “third side of the Russian coin.” Based on direct involvement and from observations at a safe distance, the author relates his experiences with respect, satire and humor.
Frederick Andresen is an international businessman and writer with a lifetime of intercultural experience in Asia and for the last twenty years in Russia. He now lives in California and is President of the Los Angeles/St. Petersburg Sister City Committee. While still involved in Russian business, he also devotes time to the arts and his writing, being author of “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia” and historical novellas.
