Page 27 - Alumni Horae: Vol. 93, No. 2 Winter 2013

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An international journalist reaffirms the
lessons of St. Paul’s, far away from home.
by Brett Forrest ’91
Let me tell you about Kiril. He called one evening and said
that he needed to see me right away. I lived in Moscow at the
time, and phone calls of this nature were routine. In the dark
and glamorous crowd to which I had fortunately fallen, no
one ever made plans. Life was a series of impulses. You made
sure you were free at all times, because each new experience
may well reveal to you a ripple of human understanding.
Besides, Moscow was just a lot of fun. The country was
rambling along so quickly through change, it could hardly
steer itself. Everyone I knew was along for the ride.
It felt like I was the only one who wasn’t on the take.
Russia was a tough place to survive, and I hustled forever
for the next job, writing feature articles for American mag-
azines. Other people I knew shook hands in the shadows
of one dirty deal or another. I didn’t ask questions. Con-
sidering the violence that was always a factor and an option,
I chose ignorance.
Don’t judge.
PHOTOS COURTESY BRETT FORREST ’91