I had Corona, have been recovering for four weeks, but my brain is still suffering from brainfog. But it's also quite nice, you meet other people much more relaxed. The columnist still wonders about herself.
I recently met Georg and Sophie. It's always nice when you're older if you keep getting to know good people. Such a wonderful, nice, open, totally normal couple anyway. We were invited to a concert in Potsdam, the location was right on the Holy See, a famous pianist played for a good cause. After the performance I strolled to the in-house jetty, a couple was already there. The evening was fresh as summer, the sun was setting dramatically over the sparkling lake, it was an enchanting mood. I said good evening politely, and of course we talked about the pianist, for whom the whole world is tearing and who we had here in a small circle, simply because we are lucky children. They introduced themselves by their first names and came out as more or less new postdams. We were on first name terms and I thought the whole time that I knew them both.
We talked about how well we're doing, but that there's still room for improvement. Always. For example, having a lake right in front of your property, a historic building across the street that looks even better in the sunset than in broad daylight, and a jetty you can jump headfirst into the water from. But we didn't want to complain, we realized that we're not jealous, that we basically treat others to everything. We nodded contentedly into the evening mood, glass in hand and knowing that our "carpe diem" attitude is totally appropriate in these troubled times we live in and that we are acutely aware of it. That we want to suck in everything that is possible. The goal is to have as many experiences as possible on the credit side so that you can draw on them on another occasion.
They told me about their past in Bremen and especially in Fischerhude, where they had their four children far away from any hustle and bustle. Beautiful, I said, I like Bremen and Fischerhude and well, anyway, the north. I also asked them if they didn't think Potsdam was a bit too conservative. "Oh, that's okay," they both smiled, "we lived in Berlin-Mitte for a long time, but we sometimes found the 'crime scene' more exciting than going out the door in the evening." And I thought, I get that, middle is often really annoying.
They were interested in what I do and just at that moment I was about to invite them to visit us in Berlin when we were joined by other guests of the evening, which bothered me a bit because I wanted Georg and Sophie to myself and find out where I know her from. At some point they said goodbye, the children waited, the next day you had to get up early again for work. A friend brought me a whiff of a pancake and another glass of this sparkling drink that tickles my belly button, no nonsense, on the palate, and then the scales fell from my eyes, from my hair, in general: Me had completely forgotten to curtsey.
Because I was in my thoughts - we had just taken the youngest child to the airport (without any problems, thanks BER!!) for a longer stay abroad and I had dried my tears just in time for the concert to begin - I was only half present overall. My brain drawers weren't really open either, they jerked, locked, towels and things still hung loosely out of them and blew in the wind. And now it dawned on me. Ta-ta-ta-taaaa, ta-ta-ta-taaaa ... almost a twilight of the gods: If things had gone differently in the last, say, a good 100 years, then Georg vom Steg would be emperor right now, because his Great-great-grandfather was Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. I felt a little silly, like I'd done something wrong. But I haven't. I just hadn't read "Bunte" or "Gala" for a long time.
Is that important? No, it doesn't matter, it's a column. And you don't have to read it to the end. But I'm writing this down because I was so amazed at myself. I asked myself why I was so taken by surprise that I chatted with the Kaisers, i.e. with Prussia, about this and that and found it so wonderfully normal that it is now worth mentioning for me. Why why?
Well, why shouldn't these people be normal, too? Well, let's say advanced normal, in a good way. I know that Georg was under a lot of stress in court, I read that. There is currently no chance of an out-of-court decision, the dispute between the public sector and the descendants of the German monarchy will probably remain in court. In addition to art, money and real estate, it is about historical responsibility. I trust him. He also didn't seem greedy or self-indulgent.
But now I know why I'm writing it down: Because I'm a "sucker" myself, as the Bavarian would say, and because I've met people who are open to others and can listen, who are simply interested. And that, dear audience, is really not normal at the moment. Have a wonderful weekend!
