Remembering

Hello from my guest room in Humlebæk,

It seems this summer is both one to remember as well as on of remembering. It is about 4:00 a.m., and the birds have begun to sing, and the first rays of light have illuminated my comfortable room here on the Danish coast, a bit Northwest of København. A first trip back to the country initially visited in January 1981 has been quite phenomenal thus far, and my appreciation of the incredible ingenuity of Danish people, particularly in the area of health, grows exponentially. The primary reason to come back to Denmark has been to attend the translokation ceremony for Anton, my exchange student, which I promised to do. The Danish customs for graduation from Gymnasium are beyond any celebratory practices in the States for sure. And this year, his family also hosted a Sankt Hans celebration later that evening, so I experienced two profoundly significant Danish cultural traditions in my first 36 hours of returning to Denmark.

Certainly having a specific place to visit and be welcomed makes coming back to Denmark easier, particularly when the number of years since the last visit has created an appreciably older individual. And yet, I can see the thread connecting the first trip during the Interim class of 1981. Those initial seeds, the developing of an appreciation for and a desire to experience a world of cultural beauty that Dana College and the Humanities program instilled in me changed my life. Those lectures from amazing professors and mentors as well as the option to experience a world only witnessed through pictures in books changed my life. Dana’s intentional connection to its cultural roots and that experience was directly connected to my choosing a Danish exchange student. My travel with the Pope, and my recollections of Denmark that January, made the roulette-spin resulting in Anton coming to Bloomsburg real. There continues to be an ever-developing skein connecting thoughts, emotions, and experiences during this return trip, all while developing a deepening appreciation for both the present and the past. Certainly reconnecting in person with Anton, his remarkable sister, and their unparalleled parents is a gift beyond words; but also being able to share their space as they shared in mine last year, and adding commonly relatable moments provides an unbreakable and strongly-woven unique clothing that only we understand. However, even now, I feel deeply connected to that undergraduate experience on the bluffs of the Missouri River. During this trip, I have been blessed to meet grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, and their is a common thread, I have been welcomed in ways beyond compare. At the party celebrating the Midsummer Night, every person, without exception, took the time to speak with me at length, and because my Danish is virtually non-existent (unfortunately), they all graciously spoke in profoundly effective English. Never once did I feel left out of their celebration.

It is the beginning of the week, and I have been invited to speak at a breakfast this morning to a group of engineers and others who have an appreciation for my medical experiences. Who would have thought such a thing possible? And yet as I reflect, I believe even these issues perhaps began to really begin to come to the fore in that trip back during my sophomore year at Dana. My experience of loneliness would be compounded when I developed pneumonia, and I would spend time with another exchange student I had met even earlier in my life, an ironic parallel even now. Yesterday, a trip and days walking around Copenhagen brought back memories while simultaneously creating new ones. Forty years has changed the harbor area significantly, and the unseasonably warm day (and it has been beautiful) had people out in force. Street food, coffee, and experiencing the changing of the guard at the palace as well as the gardens at the National Library or the innumerable boats on the canals made for a lovely day. Riding the Metro and the trains reminded me of Dr. Nielsen trying to keep us all together as we ventured through Western Europe considering Hemingway and Mann all those years ago. Today, I will return to Kronborg, where I stood 42 years ago on a cold, rainy, and foggy January afternoon. I remember thinking at the time, no wonder Hamlet was so sad. I think we will still make it to Roskilde and perhaps the Dom, but time will tell.

It is a day since I began writing, but yesterday was a profound experience for me. I was provided an opportunity to speak with engineers and other individuals working at a company called Coloplast. This happened because of a chance conversation at the Friday night party, when I spoken with one of Hans Christian’s friends. That developed into being asked to tell my story about being an ostomate at a breakfast meeting of engineers who develop products used by those like me. After the first presentation, I was asked to do a second one, and in between I met with a chemical engineer who works in a user lab. It was beyond optimal for me, I seems to be so for them. I learned some incredibly insightful things about the miraculous things that go into the products I use for my daily life. The questions and the interchanges that occurred were quite amazing to me. Life has a way of meeting us where we need to be met, even when we do not know it. As noted, what appears to be a connecting thread between my two trips to Denmark (issues of health) are perhaps appropriately connected in this presentation. As I write this I am taking an hour train ride to Roskilde, visiting the Viking Museum, another return to January 1981. I have, additionally, tried to connect with one of the Danish students from that time at Dana, which had been successful and heart wrenching. They are critically ill, a reminder of the consequences of aging and fragility. This student was a wonderful addition to the Dana community, and a person for whom I had great appreciation. It was quite wonderful to reconnect not all that long ago. So the return to Denmark seems to parallel what it often a dual perception of time.

Does it seems to be forty-plus years since I rode these trains, walked the cobblestones, or gazed out at Sweden from Kronborg? Indeed, that and more, and yet, simultaneously, impossible. But the difference in my perception from 25 to 67 is exponential. And yet, some things are constant. The meticulousness, the industriousness, and the care for others and the world by this country of a mere 5.8 million people is inspirational. I also experienced these characteristics in Anton when he arrived in Bloomsburg on that late August evening 2019. Likewise, while it is already over three years since he left, he has changed quite significantly: his physical stature continue to increase in height. I believe he is 6’3” at least. The face has matured some, but the basics and infectious smile remain. He is personable and ready to engage, but he has continued to develop into an amazing young adult. His view of the world and what matters is still insightful, thoughtful, and balanced. He is headed on another adventure shortly, spending a year as a windsurfing instructor in the Canary Islands. Darn, for him and me. It offers an option for yet another trip. Time will reveal the possibilities.

I was amazed by the efficiency of the rail system that interim with Dr. Nielsen, and my appreciation remains. The Danish system is efficient and clean. It is also timely. As I ride, the amount of time spent reading and pondering events to the East has been staggering, both in amounts as well as in an attempt to understand. Conversation with my former student, who admits concern and fear, are guarded but helpful. Simply knowing they are okay is sufficient at the moment. I need to reach out to parents also. It is hard to believe tomorrow is my last full-day in Humlebæk, but a new adventure beckons me. My paternal roots hearkens back to Norway. I remember my Great Aunt Martha reciting her prayers in Norwegian. Indeed, Lutefisk was something we ate at Christmas. Lefse is something I appreciate to this day. What I remember most about the difference in Danish and Norwegian people is the profound pride (and this is not to say that Danes do not have this, but rather they are perhaps more thoughtful or subdued in their expressions of it) in their heritage. I have noted my high school history teacher, Mr. Larry Flom, who would stand up in the middle of class and puff out his chest, making himself as large as possible, and speaking out loudly, but not exactly hollering, and exclaiming, “Norway!” and then he would sit back down as if nothing happened. It was one of the many endearing things he would do. The smallness of our immense world was demonstrated again during the evening, when a Dana classmate reached out to tell me that one of her children and her husband are attending the music festival in Roskilde today, which is where we spend the entire day yesterday.

Indeed it is my last full-day in Denmark, and yesterday was a bit of a reprise of a Dana day all those years ago. There have been significant additions to the Viking Museum in Roskilde, and they had a flood there in the building in December of 2013. I do not remember being in the Domkirke where all the Danish royalty are buried, but it was awe inspiring to see such incredible history in one place. Additionally, I got a lot of steps in on our journeys. Last night, we went to the Louisiana Museum here in Humlebæk, and I viewed one of the most interesting and creative exhibitions I believe I have ever experienced. All I could think of was my former colleague who is an art professor and to hear what she might think of it. It is an exhibition of an Icelandic artist named Ragnar Kjartansson, who is a painter, a musician, and politically active individual. The exhibition is titled “Epic Waste of Love and Understanding.” He is worth looking up. We also had dinner there, and it is a place where Anton has worked since returning to Denmark post-YFU year. Today, Anton and I will spend some time together running errands and just hanging out. He has another graduation party tonight, so I will be in bed long before he is home. The trip to Denmark has exceeded expectations on a number of fronts, from meeting extended family to experiencing and engaging in situations unanticipated, from reacquainting to revisiting places from 2/3s of my life ago, it has been an incredible week. I am excited to fly to Norway tomorrow to explore a new country, and yet what my family would call the old country. I am thrilled to reacquaint with a person who preceded me at Dana, but was an important part of my first year there on the bluffs of the Missouri. Indeed, there will be a combination of remembering and creating. It is what we do as we meander throughout our lives. Somehow it seems appropriate to post a video of a hymn that is an important part of my memories from Dana, but also an significant part of our Lutheran and Scandinavian heritage, and a song I hope will be sung at my last service.

Thank you as always for reading.

The Perpetual Dana Student and now Professor,

Michael and Dr. Martin.