My Bill Clinton Story Part III

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City

This post is the conclusion to a three-part story. You can read part I here and part II here.

Most of us can remember where we were and what we were doing the morning of 9/11. If you're like me, just saying September 11th, 2001, has a way of creating emotional time travel. You immediately go back and remember how you felt that day. Anyone who can remember watching the news on television or listening to the radio felt the impact emotionally. However, the pain, fear, vulnerability, and anger were more acute in the United States.

A lesson in Nordic hospitality

Many years later, I was in Iceland, taking a cooking class with another attendee from Texas. Both of us were learning from a professional chef and gaining some insights into Nordic cuisines and hospitality. I had just recounted two notable connections with my family and the former United States President Bill Clinton. She had a story of her own and was beginning to share it with me. It was related to a memorial event on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

My friend began to explain how important it was for her always to remember that day. There were many memorials on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, and one ceremony, in particular, caught her attention. The event honored those who died on United Flight-93, the airplane that crashed in Pennsylvania after the passengers fought back against the hijackers. She watched the proceedings on the television broadcast that day with her husband.

"President Bush was there, and he spoke well. Vice-President Biden was also there to thank him for uniting the country immediately after the attacks, but the speech that hit me was the one made by President Clinton," she said as we were starting cooking our final course.

She also made it clear that as a lifelong Republican voting Texan, she wasn't necessarily a member of President Clinton's Fanclub.

"Despite my feelings, I was floored by how well he spoke. I kept saying to my husband how amazed I was that he could link the heroism of those on the flight with those that fought at the Alamo. I had expected that President Bush would have made that connection. I mean, Dubya's one of us! I thought for sure President Bush would have referenced the Texans, but he didn't!"

When the memorial was over, she walked over to her desk and wrote Bill Clinton a letter. She told me that she saw some good in him that she hadn't previously considered, and she wanted to thank him for his remarks. She finished the letter, placed it in an envelope, hopped in her truck, and drove it to the post office.

"About a month later, I received a letter in my mailbox, and it was from President Clinton. He thanked me for my letter, and he went on to say how much he's come to appreciate it when people of all political stripes can come together and unite around supporting one another." My friend paused for a moment to smile and then said, "Not only that, but he also sent me that same speech he had written by hand. He wanted me to have it!" That handwritten speech for the 9/11 memorial now hangs in her office at her ranch in Texas.

The kitchen in Reykjavík

After an enjoyable afternoon of Scandinavian hospitality and conversation, my friend and I parted, and I walked back to the apartment we had rented in Reykjavík. I had picked up some new culinary skills, but I gained an appreciation for human connection. I see hope when I see people who disagree treat each other with respect and dignity. To me, that's leadership—the ability to connect meaningfully with someone who doesn't think or live like you. It's not easy, but it's not impossible, and it's always worth a try.

I'm well aware that I'm writing during a Canadian federal election, and for those of us in Alberta, we will also be voting at the municipal level. I want to encourage you with two things. First of all, please engage and vote according to your conviction. Secondly, please maintain the belief that most people have good intentions, including those you will not be supporting. The choice they've made to put themselves forward to serve is a noble thing. Unfortunately, this belief is under constant attack, and hospitality is the greatest defense. Never forget this.

I hope these three short stories about the 42nd President have given you some insights into what connecting with people can look like. I hope they've encouraged you as well. Thank you for reading!

Take care,

Jordan