Shawn Cumberland
Published on December 10, 2018
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/life-lessons-shawn-cumberland/
The channels for delivering important lessons in life and love are widely varied and sometimes unexpected. I require periodic refreshers and guidance.
Circa 1993, I spent 6 weeks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords, United Nations Forces had been brought in (1992-93) to maintain order, pending new elections after many years of horrific domestic atrocities and a subsequent long war with Vietnam. The Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot were still in the countryside and it wasn’t completely safe.
My “hotel” was an old cruise-liner, and I walked a gangplank each day to get into town. At that time, it was supposedly the nicest and safest place for foreigners.
For those who don’t recall or know, Pol Pot’s regime was responsible for one of the worst genocides in history, killing nearly 2 million of their own people (~25% of the population).
I was in Cambodia in an attempt to work with the government to help devise a commercial structure to improve the poor electric infrastructure.
I had been assigned an amazing and lovely interpreter. He was about my age and was fluent in many languages (including Khmer/Cambodian, French, Russian, Chinese and English).
Working closely together over those 6 weeks, we became good friends. I hate to admit that over time we eventually lost touch and I’ve since even forgotten his name.
However, I’ll never forget some our long deep chats. Through those exchanges, my friend will remain with me forever.
His family apparently had been part of the elite privileged class; his father was a high ranking official in the prior government and was schooled in Paris, which was not uncommon for someone of his level.
However, during Pol Pot’s reign of terror, my friend’s sister and mother were killed by the Khmer Rouge. His father was subjected to the “forced work re-education” process, tortured, and ultimately starved to death.
At his deathbed, my friend’s father told him that he (the father) was one of the luckiest men on Earth. I asked why his father would make such an odd statement. He replied because he had experienced the full range of human existence — the very highs and the lowest.
I then told my buddy that he must surely hate Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Puzzled, he looked at me and asked why.
I promptly responded “because of what they did to your family.”
My dear friend looked at me with complete sincerity and asked “what good would that do?”
#LoveLikeNicky