...with Vaclav Havel.

A few years ago, I was in the same room with Vaclav Havel, the president of the Czech Republic.

It was a mystical experience. To think that I was in the presence of this man. Within 100 feet of him. So thrilling that our paths had crossed in this lifetime.

There are very few personages in the entire world that I’d go out of my way to go and see if they visited the Twin Cities. But one is Havel.

I lobbied my friends at a Czech heritage organization for a ticket to an ethnic welcoming party for Havel.

Coincidentally, the same day I attended a seminary class in which we focused on the Dalai Lama and his book, “Healing Anger.”

And one of the observations of the Dalai Lama is that one can remain without any religious faith and still be a good, sensitive human being and have a sense of responsibility and commitment for a better and happier world.

That’s certainly a description that aptly fits Havel, whose theme is let’s find a way to develop a global civil society, and let’s be civil to each other.

Havel is certainly a guy who chose to heal anger rather than let it fester.

Havel’s road to president of the Czech Republic was torturous and full of obstacles and detours. His career is like a mosaic. An apprentice in a chemical factory. Student of economics and performing arts. Military service. Stage technician. Writer. Dramatist. Worker in a brewery. Editor of an influential journal. Chair of the Club of Independent Writers. Several prison sentences for prohibited political activities.

Havel grew up in a well-known entrepreneurial and intellectual family which was closely linked to the cultural and political events in Czechoslovakia from its inception in 1918. Because of these links, the communist regime did not allow him to pursue a normal education and career. As it turned out, this background was an extraordinary preparation for his intellectual and political roles at home and around the world.

I got a kick out of how the ethnic Czechs in the audience vied with each other to get up on the platform to have their photos taken with Havel. I settled for just being in the same room. –Jim Broede