Pearl Harbor

    There was a time, over dinner many years ago, that a friend of mine, a retired naval officer, now a successful businessman, wanted to talk to one of my sons about attending Annapolis.

    My friend was a good man, a survivor of Pearl Harbor, but he had a powerful hatred for the Japanese. He hated them so much that he took every opportunity in business, in public, and in private to say so.

    During our conversation I told him, I hoped he would understand, but he could not talk to my son unless he let go of his hatred, for I didn’t want a then seventeen years old influenced by such a long-festering anger.

    When you hate you create a bond almost as powerful as love, and it won’t release you from your pain until you consciously let it go. Wisdom teachings suggest that hatred will eventually destroy the hater.

    My friend thought about our discussion for several weeks. One day he called to tell me he was going to visit Pearl Harbor…on his way to Japan.

    He asked when he got back could talk to my son. I said “yes.”