Contemplating the 'what ifs'

By Noralyn O. Dudt

The "what ifs"have been visiting me lately, especially this past year when we were "forever" home, in lockdown with the Corona. It is a lingering mental preoccupation, making me pause, thinking what could have been, what would have been had an event happened or not.

"What if...." In 2004, Phil and I received an invitation from the Embassy of Japan to a reception commemorating the 150^th anniversary of Japan ending her seclusion from the world. Japan had been in lockdown for 200 years when the American Commodore Matthew Perry, his staff and troops sailed into Tokyo Bay and asked to be presented to the emperor. It was an audacious move, especially at the time when there were no back-ups and no airpower support for the "just in case" moments.  Barging in on Japan in 1854 with so many unknowns, crossing the vast Pacific would have been quite an adventure (read: dangerous). But somehow, the commodore must have felt very confident. After all, he was sailing on what the Japanese called the Black Ships which to them had an ominous look. A Japanese Navy was still nonexistent and these American ships were armed with cannons. They must have been quite a sight for the Japanese who have walled their country off for 200 years, to suddenly see these "barbarians."  To them, the Black Ships looked foreboding.

The venue of this special celebration was at the port of Baltimore, Maryland, only half an hour drive away from Washington DC, a venue rather unique as almost all of embassy social functions are held either at the massive and elegant ambassador's residence or at the Embassy of Japan in Washington. But this event was indeed unique, with top officials and the diplomatic community in attendance. And it carried a lot of symbolism; just as Commodore Perry audaciously sailed into Tokyo Bay 150 years earlier, the Japanese ship SETOGIRI (a Destroyer class support ship for Japanese submarines) was sailing into the Baltimore harbor for this special occasion.  The celebration was going to be held on this ship!

As we clambered up the makeshift ladder to the ship, I wondered how long the ship took to make the voyage from its port in Japan to Baltimore, Maryland. It would have had to cross the vast Pacific, cut through the Panama Canal to get to the Atlantic and sail up along the North American coast.   Ambassador Kato opened the celebration with a speech, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our reception commemorating the century and a half of Japan's opening to Western powers." He went on to say that it was in 1854 when the Kanagawa Treaty was signed, ending the 200 years of Japanese isolation. "I stand here with you today, in a western suit and speaking in English as a result of that treaty," he continued.  Looking at the beaming faces in the audience, I began to surmise, "hmmm how would Ambassador Kato look in a samurai garb? With a katana? And seeing the Japanese Navy in their "western-style" uniforms, my mind wandered to Hokusai's block prints depicting Japan's Edo Period: the kimono, the topknot haircut called 'chonmage', the beautiful art screens (byobu), the calligraphy, the ikebana and other cultural arts that the Japanese developed and perfected during their 200 years of isolation.

Commodore Matthew Perry certainly knew how to impress the Japanese. He wanted to showcase what Western culture looked like. He brought the Navy band to play the Star-Spangled Banner, and chefs to prepare an elaborate banquet on his ship so he could invite the Japanese officials to a Western meal.  He brought gifts that he thought would dazzle: a working model of a steam locomotive, a telescope, a telegraph, wines and liquors. And dazzled the Japanese nobility, he did. Japan opened up and 110 years later became the second biggest economy in the world—an economic powerhouse that designed and built cars and other electronics in addition to crafting and building the most advanced trains in the world. What if Japan decided against opening? What if Commodore Perry's diplomatic approach didn't pan out? Ahh...the what if!

Another of my "what ifs " that keeps me awake part of the night: in 2017 Phil and I were very fortunate  to have been invited to join  a group of Germans from the parish of Dr. Joerg Mosig's Alt-Hastedt Kirchengemeinde of Bremen on a bus tour to the Luther sites in Central Germany: Eisleben where the Reformer  Martin Luther was born;  the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach where Luther was "hidden" and  protected by Frederick the Wise (Friedrich der Weise) who staged Luther's "kidnapping" after he was declared heretic by the Pope. It was there where he translated the New Testament Bible into German; in Wittenberg where he lectured and where he later posted and nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Schloss Kirche (Castle church). The year 2017 was the 500^th anniversary of the 1517 Reformation when Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk and outspoken university lecturer challenged the Church of Rome. It took some years of uncertainty, but Luther persevered despite being harassed and threatened with excommunication and even death. Others who exhibited the same level of audacity to protest and challenge earlier were excommunicated and burned at the stake. Such fate awaited Luther but he would not recant. What would our world be today if he recanted? It would certainly be a different world.  The Protestant Reformation propelled the spread of literacy—Martin Luther knew that free access to the Bible demanded the development of reading skills.  With that in mind, Luther encouraged the State to provide stability to education by undertaking and supporting primary and secondary schools. Thus, the idea of public education was born. What if......."where" would we be today?

Over two decades ago, my family had a chance to travel to the Spanish province of Andalucia. It was there in the Andalucian town of Sevilla where centuries ago, Columbus and the other Spanish conquistadores launched their sails to the New World. It was also there where Magellan, a Portuguese national, decided to become a citizen of the Spanish crown after King Manuel of Portugal refused to fund his planned expedition to the Spice Islands.  His persistence paid off when King Charles gave him the "green light." After all, King Charles was the grandson of Queen Isabela and King Philip, the far-sighted monarchs who financed Columbus’ voyage to the New World.

As we all know, the Philippines would not be the Islas Filipinas that we know today had the King of Spain refused to finance such a long voyage across two big oceans. Fernando Magallanes finally landed on the island of Mactan in 1521. And the rest as we all know... is history. I am obsessed with the what ifs.  To think that one wrong 'turn' or two right 'turns', a left 'turn', or even a U-turn could have altered what we know of our world today, is definitely amazing. And there is no end to the "what ifs".

Noralyn Onto Dudt has always had a penchant for travel and her former students love to indulge her with this passion. Long before the pandemic, she frequently took the 14 hour-flight to Tokyo from Washington, DC., and the 7-8 hour- flight to Germany and France. She can't wait for the pandemic to end so she can go back there again. She says, " even though I did not spend my youth there, going there is like "going home."