Article June 18, 2001 Issue

Who's the enemy?

By Barbara Ahlberg

A few years Ago, I had an experience that showed how true it is that we create our own enemies ... and can turn them into friends. Thinking about it brings it brings a smile to my heart.

During the World War II years, the Japanese soldier was depicted in newsreels as a fierce enemy, a terrifying figure. I didn't realize that this image lay deep in my thought until a few years later. When I was visiting my sister and her family in Hawaii, we went to a store. While my sister was buying baked goods, I started looking around. A Japanese clerk was behind every counter. Suddenly I began to feel almost overwhelmed as if I were surrounded by the enemy. I told my sister I would wait for her outside. When she came out, I told her how I'd felt.

"You need to get over that," she said.

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