This week, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the United States is awash with reminders to “never forget.” I do remember. I remember it all…including the parts that we Americans would prefer to ignore. I remember that we were attacked and 3000 civilians were tragically killed. I remember the first responders, who still bear scars on their bodies and their souls. I remember being in my office in Washington DC, a few blocks from the US Capital Building, which was a target, trying to figure out how to evacuate. Our solution was to carpool like mad to get colleagues away…

Last weekend in Amsterdam I queued up for two hours in cold weather to gain admission to the Anne Frank House museum. There was no guarantee that there would be space for me, or that my endurance would last long enough to find out. But I made it inside! It was a profound experience. I don’t think that my reflections were much different from those of other visitors – but they were made timely by simultaneous events taking place in the US. The visit to Anne Frank House was a reminder that human genius is extraordinarily ordinary. Anne was a typical teenage…