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Visit to Oman - Personal Reflection |
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Written by Ray Jorgensen, Ph.D.
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From the moment we arrived at the gate for Emirates airline, I felt things had changed and were changing. Charming people with interesting accents greeted us at the Emirates check-in points and at the gate. Even with these gracious salutations, my responses to the Emirates’ personnel felt stilted and awkward. After so many years in schools with multicultural populations, accents do not typically bother me but my memories of 9-11 and the aftermath of hatred that followed in the media and in my NY consults was with me. Additionally, my family reminded me constantly up to the departure date to be careful on this trip; they kept telling me in many different ways “Americans are hated by other countries especially in the middle east.” I tried to shake of the feelings of foreboding, but meditation and alcohol failed to do the trick. After an eternity in the airplane with as much entertainment media as I could stand and upon arriving in Dubai and paying and enormous amount of money for a cup of tea, my mood was not improving. I shared my dark thoughts with my traveling companion and he responded, “I thought I was the only one feeling a bit out of sync.” The next thing that changed, of course from my vantage, is how people dress and speak. The men in the airport were wearing full length shirts and headgear, talking on cell phones and behaving in what appeared to be their ordinary ways. I could not understand any of the conversation around me and began thinking how many times people from other countries felt like me in restaurants, coffee shops, banks etc. at home. I read that other citizens of the world have a fairly good command of English ... I’m again noticing things changing in me. The first Global Forum Conference activity after an almost indescribably beautiful opening ceremony invited anyone with fluency in one or more languages to stand. Of course all stood, I didn’t notice any deaf people in the room. The facilitator then asked everyone fluent in only one language to please be seated. I and four other Americans took a seat. Incredibly, most of the room was still standing after those fluent in three and four languages were asked to sit. I was reminded of the joke about a person who speaks more than three languages is multicultural, a person who speaks two languages is bi-lingual and a person who speaks one language is an American. I fit the proverbial bill perfectly. Now my perspective about how I fit in in relation to the overall conference changed from cautious optimism to downright concern about my adding any value to these culturally diverse leaders. After the introductions and opening activities, the first set of table activities centered on identifying those in whom we had trust; trust as in relationships with friends and significant others. For the first time since leaving JFK airport, I began to relax. Men and women at our table were describing personal and professional situations where trust was an issue. The humanity that defined us all came through in the conversations. Fear, desire to be included and needed by others, and our own demons about self- reference unfolded. I was changing perspective again and learning how similar we were in virtually all aspects of our existence. As the next days unfolded, my presence in the Middle East changed. I was no longer uncomfortable with the dress and language challenges, and I began to meet people where they were and as they were. I changed and learned from a brilliant variety of cultures and perspectives. As we flew the iron bird home, I was consumed with thoughts of when ... when …when will the world’s cultures come together again as emissaries of peace and understanding. As a final note, out of conversation with my traveling companion came an old adage and an extension: to understand another’s language is to understand another’s culture ..... to understand the language of leadership is to understand the culture of leading.
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