Anecdotal Meanderings about Equality

Egalitarianism is a social concept. It means that all people are equal and deserve an equal opportunity at life—nothing more, nothing less. I adopted that as one of my guiding principles a very long time ago. In my experiences, however, America has rarely practiced it in the workplace, on the playing fields, in war, or in peace. In contrast, the Scandinavian countries adopted it long ago in virtually all aspects of life. On 10 economic measures associated with egalitarianism, all the Scandinavian countries rank very high. In quality of life measures, the same countries all rank in the top 10 places. In my memories, in my travels, and in my heart the countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark all receive an A+ on this fundamental acknowledgment about who we are, and how we deserve to be treated.

This short narrative is more than a ramble in praise of Scandinavia and its people. Linguistic purists might label it impressionistic remembrances embellished by a little wine and with the passage of time. So be it. Here are a few snippets as I recall them whilst watching those tiny bubbles pushing their way up in my glass filled with a special nectar from the Eiffel region of Germany.

BTW, I paid my way for all my travels except for the fare to and from the main destinations. Uncle Sam paid for those fares unless you subtract the value of my services rendered for which I was paid about one-half that paid to those in civil service. My services were nearly always my best, but at bargain-basement prices. That said, I also have many fond memories of my days in Germany, and of some travels to points south along the Mediterranean. Scandinavia was different.

It has been 20 years since I visited Norway. Much longer since traveling eastward to Denmark. I’m not a spokesperson for Scandinavia, and I would look like any other stumbling, bumbling American unable to speak their language if I were to visit them today. Except for one observation: I love the concept of equal worth that lives and flourishes there. Life, love, and possibilities show up in the faces and the actions of the people everywhere. It also helps that the residents--by and large--are also healthy, happy, and hardy. Totally absent from my memories are such downer issues as open-drug usage, large-scale fatsos, gangs, thugs, and drive-by shootings. They are all antithetical to the Scandinavian way of life.

Having tasted the bitterness of my early life near the bottom, I have several good reference points—and they all point up. Not toward riches, and leisure, but toward decency, respect, daring, and sharing. Those are my adjectives that describe the egalitarian lifestyle. Call it good-will in action. Or the human spirit at work capped by miles of smiles. Just keep all the political labels away. They don’t fit this worthy term, nor the people who live it.

Volunteerism is everywhere is Scandinavia, especially in Finland. It’s a way of life that has nothing to do with community service in lieu of jail time for breaking the law. It’s part of their culture to help one another. Get stopped for speeding, and you pay a progressive fine. The fine goes up or down depending on your income—which is accessible by computers. Suggest such a system in the USA and you are an immediate suspect as anti-exceptionalism or just a low-life socialist. It’s always the brain-washed who haven’t advanced past those tired old labels.

Very long ago—way past the statutes of limitations—I met a beautiful young woman while in Copenhagen. In my immaturity I had heard that Copenhagen was the city of love, in the raunchy sense of that word. I quickly discovered that those “street smarts” from my youth were way off the mark. She was all purity, in the best sense of that word. We went sight-seeing, and she was my personal guide. What a beautiful city. I was on Cloud 9 the entire weekend. We romped, wrestled, and tasted life. I fell in love with a city, a way of life, and with a beautiful lady. When it came time for me to leave (from a 3-day weekend in Germany), I was torn between going AWOL (absent without leave), and staying with this lady I had fallen in love with, and returning to my duty station. The call of duty won out—barely. She wrote to me every week for the next two years. I was too heartbroken to return her letters. It was too painful to even try. Today, I cannot remember her face beyond her sparkling eyes, her energy, and her honesty. The rest is very much like the lady in the image accompanying this anecdotal slice of life.

Here’s a different snippet. I met a nuclear physicist in Norway c. 1975. He gave me a tour of his university laboratory where he was experimenting with a linear accelerator and human cultures in his efforts to bring some cancers under control. I met him again in 2000. He was a recluse, disappointed with life, who lived in the hills herding sheep. I never heard from him again. A few years later I underwent radiation treatment for cancer—where they used linear accelerator therapies directly related to his work. My treatment was 100 percent successful. I wrote five poems in tribute to the cancer research center here. But I owe him a heartfelt thanks for his many years of groundwork that made it possible.

I visited a lovely older couple in Norway—distant relatives. They owned a small cabin that was their get-away Shanghai-la. We drove way up in the mountains high above the fjords to get to their cabin. After a great feast, good wine, and a lot laughter, small and tall tales, we all fell asleep outside, under the loveliest moonlit and starlit sky I can remember anywhere. You can’t buy that kind of memory at any price.

Today, my concept of egalitarianism stretches outward to the stars and beyond. Now I intend to come back for another chance at this thing called life, if that is in the cards. This world still needs less egoism and me-ism, more caring and daring about others.