top of page
Tippen am Computer

Writing room

Here I collect thoughts that I don't post as a blog post. This is my little creative and thoughtful corner of the writing room. 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Sein oder Suchen

IMG_20240806_151845.jpg
Sein oder Suchen

Manche blühen aus eigener Kraft
andere fliegen von Blüte zu Blüte


Manche reden davon, was sie in ein paar Jahren tun wollen, wo sie dann sein werden und was sie sich dann vorstellen können. Wie soll das gehen? Sie können nicht wissen, wer, wo und wie sie in Zukunft sein werden und es ist unmöglich im Jetzt zu entscheiden, was man sich später "vorstellen" kann. Es ist nicht alles planbar. Das Leben - wir haben nur einen Teil davon im Griff. Manchmal frage ich mich, ob es ratsam ist, überhaupt so viel zu planen. Ein wenig schon, in grundlegenden Aspekten, in finanziellen Absicherungen und gesundheitlichen Belangen. 
Heute, jetzt, in diesem Moment, denke ich, dass ich jetzt schon so leben möchte, wie ich es "mir vorstellen kann"- wie ich es möchte. Und ich möchte meinen Schreibraum- Freiraum haben, aus mir selbst heraus das tun und arbeiten, was ich mir wünsche und was ich kann. Etwas Gutes unter die Menschen bringen, etwas, das Freude bereitet. Meine Insel ist Wismar. Meine Meere die Nordsee und die Ostsee. 
Das ist mir mal wieder bewusstgeworden.
Diese "Karibikträume" oder "Provence- und Toskana-Träume" - sprich: da sitze ich dann als - reiche - Schriftstellerin in einer von Blüten und Wein umkränzten Villa und schreibe an einer epochalen Saga - oder lade hin und wieder andere Berühmte ein, wenn ich nicht in einem weit schwingenden Kleid mit einem Strohhut am Wellensaum spazieren gehe oder anderen Schreibkurse gebe - NEIN! - Was würde ich da tun? Ruhe genießen? Andauernd würden Fragen, Aufträge, Besucher, Presse oder sonst etwas hereintrudeln. Vermutlich würden Inspiration und Kreativität auch nicht mehr so fließen... Spekulation - wie alles, was die Zukunft betrifft. Also: Warum sollte ich es mir nicht gönnen, jetzt und hier glücklich zu sein?
Ruhe genieße ich jetzt und hier! Mit dem, was ich aus mir herausschreiben möchte. Und das sind dann doch weniger Auftragsarbeiten oder Romane anderer. Wobei ich diese auch nebenbei erledigen werde. Die Betonung liegt fortan auf "nebenbei" - das will gelernt - geübt sein. Broterwerb - Arbeit eben. 


Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral
von Heinrich Böll

In einem Hafen an einer westlichen Küste Europas liegt ein ärmlich gekleideter Mann in seinem Fischerboot und döst. Ein schick angezogener Tourist legt eben einen neuen Farbfilm in seinen Fotoapparat, um das idyllische Bild zu fotografieren: Blauer Himmel, grüne See mit friedlichen schneeweißen Wellenkämmen, schwarzes Boot, rote Fischermütze. Klick. Noch einmal: Klick, und da aller guten Dinge drei sind und sicher sicher ist, ein drittes Mal: Klick. Das spröde, fast feindselige Geräusch weckt den dösenden Fischer, der sich schläfrig aufrichtet, schläfrig nach seiner Zigarettenschachtel angelt; aber bevor er das Gesuchte gefunden, hat ihm der eifrige Tourist schon eine Schachtel vor die Nase gesteckt, ihm die Zigarette nicht gerade in den Mund gesteckt, aber in die Hand gelegt, und ein viertes Klick, das des Feuerzeuges, schliesst die eilfertige Höflichkeit ab. Durch jenes kaum messbare, nie nachweisbare Zuviel an flinker Höflichkeit ist eine gereizte Verlegenheit entstanden, die der Tourist - der Landessprache mächtig - durch ein Gespräch zu überbrücken versucht.
„Sie werden heute einen guten Fang machen.“
Kopfschütteln des Fischers.
„Aber man hat mir gesagt, dass das Wetter günstig ist.“
Kopfnicken des Fischers.
„Sie werden also nicht ausfahren?“
Kopfschütteln des Fischers, steigende Nervosität des Touristen. Gewiss liegt ihm das Wohl des ärmlich gekleideten Menschen am Herzen, nagt an ihm die Trauer über die verpasste Gelegenheit.
„Oh, Sie fühlen sich nicht wohl?“
Endlich geht der Fischer von der Zeichensprache zum wahrhaften Wort über. „Ich fühle mich großartig“, sagt er. „Ich habe mich nie besser gefühlt.“ Er steht auf, reckt sich, als wolle er demonstrieren, wie athletisch er gebaut ist. „Ich fühle mich phantastisch.“ Der Gesichtsausdruck des Touristen wird immer unglücklicher, er kann die Frage nicht mehr unterdrücken, die ihm sozusagen das Herz zu sprengen droht: „Aber warum fahren Sie denn nicht aus?“
Die Antwort kommt prompt und knapp. „Weil ich heute morgen schon ausgefahren bin.“ „War der Fang gut?“
„Er war so gut, dass ich nicht noch einmal auszufahren brauche, ich habe vier Hummer in meinen Körben gehabt, fast zwei Dutzend Makrelen gefangen ...“. Der Fischer, endlich erwacht, taut jetzt auf und klopft dem Touristen beruhigend auf die Schultern. Dessen besorgter Gesichtsausdruck erscheint ihm als ein Ausdruck zwar unangebrachte, doch rührender Kümmernis. „Ich habe sogar für morgen und übermorgen genug“, sagt er, um des Fremden Seele zu erleichtern. „Rauchen Sie eine von meinen?“
„Ja, danke.“
Zigaretten werden in Münder gesteckt, ein fünftes Klick, der Fremde setzt sich kopfschüttelnd auf den Bootsrand, legt die Kamera aus der Hand, denn er braucht jetzt beide Hände, um seiner Rede Nachdruck zu verleihen. „Ich will mich ja nicht in ihre persönlichen Angelegenheiten mischen“, sagt er, „aber stellen Sie sich mal vor, Sie führen heute ein zweites, ein drittes, vielleicht sogar ein viertes Mal aus und Sie würden drei, vier, fünf, vielleicht gar zehn Dutzend Makrelen fangen ... stellen Sie sich das mal vor.“
Der Fischer nickt.
„Sie würden sich in spätestens einem Jahr einen Motor kaufen können, in zwei Jahren ein zweites Boot, in drei oder vier Jahren könnten Sie vielleicht einen kleinen Kutter haben; mit zwei Booten oder dem Kutter würde Sie natürlich viel mehr fangen - eines Tages würden Sie zwei Kutter haben, Sie würden ...“, die Begeisterung verschlägt ihm für ein paar Augenblicke die Stimme, „Sie würden ein kleines Kühlhaus bauen, vielleicht eine Räucherei, später eine Marinadenfabrik, mit einem eigenen Hubschrauber rundfliegen, die Fischschwärme ausmachen und Ihren Kuttern per Funk Anweisung geben. Sie könnten die Lachsrechte erwerben, ein Fischrestaurant eröffnen, den Hummer ohne Zwischenhändler direkt nach Paris exportieren - und dann ...“, wieder verschlägt die Begeisterung dem Fremden die Sprache. Kopfschüttelnd, im tiefsten Herzen betrübt, seiner Urlaubsfreude schon fast verlustig, blickt er auf die friedlich hereinrollende Flut, in der die ungefangenen Fische munter springen. „Und dann“, sagt er, aber wieder verschlägt ihm die Erregung die Sprache.
Der Fischer klopft ihm auf den Rücken, wie einem Kind, das sich verschluckt hat. „Was dann?“, fragt er leise.
„Dann“, sagt der Fremde mit stiller Begeisterung, „dann könnten Sie beruhigt hier im Hafen sitzen, in der Sonne dösen - und auf das herrliche Meer blicken.“
„Aber das tu ich ja schon jetzt“, sagt der Fischer, „ich sitze beruhigt am Hafen und döse, nur Ihr Klicken hat mich dabei gestört.“
Tatsächlich zog der solcherlei belehrte Tourist nachdenklich von dannen, denn früher hatte er auch einmal geglaubt, er arbeite, um eines Tages einmal nicht mehr arbeiten zu müssen, und es blieb keine Spur von Mitleid mit dem ärmlich gekleideten Fischer in ihm zurück, nur ein wenig Neid.

Heinrich Böll

Drei Tische
Eine Zeit
Sechs Welten

Drei Tische
Heute bei Junge
Ich sitze auf der Couch, draußen zieht ein Sturm auf. Dennoch sitzen sie draußen: zwei Männer in einer Verhandlung, Mutter und Tochter, sie lächeln und trinken Kaffee und Saft, ein Paar mit Labrador, das sich streitet. Drei Tische nebeneinander. Und alle sechs Personen sitzen dort zeitgleich. Jeder erlebt eine andere Realität, während ich sie durch die Glasfront beobachte wie Schauspieler auf einer Bühne. Das kommt mir sonderbar vor. Und ich denke in diesem Moment, dass sie alle gerade etwas komplett Unterschiedliches empfinden. Der eine geht Konkurs oder gründet ein Geschäft oder lässt einen Deal platzen oder plant etwas, die andere beneidet die andere oder denkt an ihren Geliebten, ihren Mann, ihren Freund, ihre Freundin oder genießt einfach nur den Moment, das Beisammensein, den Beginn des Studiums, den Umzug in die neue Wohnung, den gemeinsamen Urlaub und die anderen denken an Scheidung, Hundeerziehung, sind wütend, hoffen auf Versöhnung, denken, der Urlaub ist vorüber und der Kaffee schmeckt nicht und nun wirft er mir auch noch vor, wie ich den Hund zu erziehen habe, nur weil er schon so viel mehr Hunde hatte als ich.
Und wer es noch nicht wusste: Ja, so ist das, wenn man keinen großen Filter hat, alles aufnimmt, deutet und dazu auch noch viel Fantasie hat und täglich mit Romanfiguren spricht. Ich habe nichts gehört, von dem, was draußen gesprochen wurde. Ich habe nur meine Vermutungen angestellt. Am liebsten hätte ich sie gleich ins Laptop hineingetippt. Ich saß übrigens nicht bei Junge am Markt, sondern bei dem an der Einfahrt in Wismar. Da geht das fantastisch. Setzt euch einfach mal auf die Couch mit Blick nach draußen! Das nächste Mal sollte ich mein Laptop mitnehmen.
Oft liege ich übrigens nah dran, an der Realität - was man so 'Realität' nennt. Das ist ganz sonderbar. In letzter Zeit besuchen mich Menschen, die mir direkt oder indirekt mitteilen, dass meine Romane nah an 'der' = ihrer Realität sind. Vor ein paar Tagen sagte ich: Ja, manchmal ist die Fantasie näher an der Realität, als man denkt.

3 Tische, eng nebeneinander, 3 Situationen, 6 Welten – weit entfernt voneinander - Hier fühle ich mich gleich ein wenig dazu herausgefordert, als Autorin das verbindende Element zu finden oder etwas, das diese Personen früher oder später miteinander verbinden könnte.

In diesem Sinne liebe Gruß in deine, Ihre, eure Welt! Und ich trinke meinen Kaffee auch woanders. Es ergab sich heute so. Liebe Grüße von Bente!
Wolken

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

AdobeStock_572154800.jpeg

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Stuhl

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Frau am Strand

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Frau am Strand

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

20240328_111423.jpg

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Blatt

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

großer Baum

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Schreiben am Strand

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Graffiti-Augen

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Eltern und Tochter

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Mutter und Tochter

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Füße im Wasser

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Mutter und Kind am Strand

The song "Sense of Doubt" by David Bowie

 

I just found a song by David Bowie for my new Instagram post (Reel) that fits wonderfully with the mood that prevails at the beginning of the 2nd volume of "World Without Earth". Then I found out about the meaning of the lyrics and the creation of the song and was fascinated, because at the beginning of my science fiction novel "Luminary Warriors" playing cards also play a role and coincidences and fantasy anyway! And now I read the following about the song by David Bowie: Translated into German:

Producer Brian Eno developed a set of "Oblique Strategies" cards that contained cryptic "instructions" to aid in the recording processAlbum Heroes to help. Eno and Bowie randomly selected a card and kept it secret from each other. Bowie chose "Emphasize the differences" while Eno chose "Try to make everything as similar as possible," and this paradox formed the basis for this dark but atmospheric instrumental. Eno said: "It was like a game. We took turns working on it; he would do one overdub and I would do the next, and he would do the next... I tried to smooth it out and make it a continuum, [while] he tried to to do the opposite. source

Original text of the page:
 

  • Producer, Brian Eno, devised a set of "Oblique Strategies" cards that contained cryptic "instructions" to help with the recording of the Heroes album. Eno and Bowie would select a card at random, keeping it a secret from the other. Bowie selected "Emphasise differences" while Eno selected "Try to make everything as similar as possible" and it was this paradox which formed the basis for this dark but ambient instrumental piece. Eno said: "It was like a game. We took turns working on it; he'd do one overdub and I'd do the next, and he'd do the next…I was trying to smooth it out and make it into one continuum [while] he was trying to do the opposite."  

  • In 1977, Stanley Dorfman directed this very obscure video of Bowie performing mime while this song plays. 

 

Lu C. Ohm, written on January 18, 2024

Flow andnd fantasy

The protagonists of my novels, especially the Rodiwana series, are characterized by a rich inner life. Some of them, like Erik and Solveig, have particularly sensitive antennae and perceive more than others. Imagination plays a major role in all my novels and is the driving force from which everything comes into being. 

I plot", but since 2023 I have been constructing more and more in order not to get too out of hand and to develop a faster plot. This is particularly clear in my novel "Luminary Warriors", which was published in January 2024 and has a self-contained, exciting plot But this plot also developed largely by itself. 

I can't write according to "recipe" at all. Even when I write down what should come next, I always continue writing exactly where I am, and sometimes, miraculously, everything falls into place in a way that completes the plot. I love surprising myself when I write. 

Sometimes I have to keep writing to see what happens next. Then the plot develops as if by itself and I seem to just be typing it along. 
In such a timeless moment/state that can last for hours, I look at the emerging text while my fingers seem to take on a life of their own. Although I'm not a big fan of anglicisms, I call it "flow" or "being in the flow" and enjoy this state.

The disadvantage is sometimes that I can no longer watch films in the evening because I am too engrossed in my novel.​

written by Bente Amlandt on January 12, 2024

Mädchen mit Teddybär

 

 

In you

 

The loud child

wanted to be heard.

The quiet child

hid himself.

It's one

in you...

01/22/2024

Frau am Strand
A recovered thought:

The more they lived on the outside, the more I lived on the inside.

Mädchen mit Zöpfen

The more they lived on the outside, the more I lived on the inside.

Stationary photo

Who am I writing for?

I write

for the people in my head. For the characters that are within me.

I write for Lando, for Isobald Eismann...

And all the others who want out.

I just read this:

 

The older we get, the smaller we get

our wish lists. Because the things

that we really want

you can't buy it.

Mädchen mit Pfeil und Bogen

I write

for the people in my head. For the characters that are within me.

I write for Lando, for Isobald Eismann...

And all the others who want out.

I just read this:

 

The older we get, the smaller we get

our wish lists. Because the things

that we really want

you can't buy it.

Citrus Fruits
Schloß Moritzburg

My friends, the millionaires

I quote here a message I received via Messenger:

Good morning ! I hope You are fine ?....

My name is ... of German origin, but currently hospitalized in France. I am the manager of a mineral water manufacturer, I am 47 years old. While surfing the internet despite my poor health and visibility, I came across your profile because I saw your profile on my add-on list and found it reputable and responsible. I really hope you are a believer like me?

I would like to donate money to you. a donation of €265,000.. I would like to know if you are interested in my donation? I am waiting for your answer.

ATTENTION SATIRE: The following is my draft - fake answer to the fake request:

 

Hello, I am very glad that you are writing to me as I happen to be in a similar situation. It's so nice that we're meeting here because you make a very serious impression to me and you seem to be very responsible. Your German isn't that good yet, but I can understand you, and that's the main thing! I am on the board of a large German company whose name I cannot mention here. I would like to partner with you to start a fund for people who have too much money and don't know what to do with it. Please send me your contact details so that we can set up the fund and pool our money. Best regards and see you soon!

Frau am Wasser

My personal collection of thoughts on the topic of “time” and “growing older”

Where does the term “age” come from?

Origin: Middle High German alter, Old High German altar, Germanic *aldra-, Indo-European *altro-, which belongs to the root *al- “to grow, to nourish”; the word has been used since around 800. Synonyms: age.

Time

Some time ago I heard the phrase in a radio play: “Do we know each other from a time when we had even more life ahead of us?” That touched me.

 

Now that I have passed the zenith myself, every now and then I inevitably deal with the topic of “time” and getting older.

Age

Do you know the saying: Everyone wants to grow old, but no one wants to be old?

 

In our society, growing old no longer seems to exist as much as it used to, because everyone wants to look and be young, youthful, fit, chic and sporty for as long as possible. There used to be real grandmas with pleated skirts, perms, sweet perfume, fur coats, on wide heels next to grandpas with walking sticks, flat caps and newspapers under their arms. Cliché images, right. But the cliché images really existed. And now, whether it's storming or snowing, you can see seniors in tight cycling shorts, women with walking sticks walking (pronounce that in German!) and even on the promenade on the beach, older women and men jump into the Baltic Sea in autumn, to swim a daring lap because they have “always done it that way”. They are fitter than the middle-aged and prefer to go for a walk in the car - they are in no hurry, but in the checkout lines they are - when you are in a hurry yourself. 

Because I have to be consciously aware that at some point I too will probably be sneaking along country roads in my car (if I'm lucky and can still drive and still have one) and hope to be let in at the checkout because it's here or there hurts or I have a doctor's appointment, I think I should be more lenient and have more patience. I had the patience in South America too. The eternally long queues with the Paraguayans...

Where does the term “parent” come from?

Parents. The German word “parents” (from Indo-European al “nourish, grow”) emerged in the early Middle Ages by equating the terms father and mother (Old High German eltiron around 765 AD).

How old do you feel? Is there a fixed inner age? Perhaps!

Time - measured by the clock - is something very subjective in our respective perception of reality. Just like the internally felt age from which we perceive ourselves. I think everyone gets stuck in some favorite age and has their self-image stuck there, so that they get frightened every time, or not every time, but more often, when they look in the mirror and ask themselves: Who is that? Who is that? I? I feel completely different! - This only corresponds to my subjective perception and the stories of others. To prove this scientifically, I would have to do some research, which I might do. See above: This is my collecting corner!

Absurd - What is real?

I think something like this happened to me recently: the collision of inner, perceived age with outer appearance. It was a feeling of absurdity, of inauthenticity, and yet it was more real because the outside was really visible. But was it more real? Isn't the inner feeling of life, the perceived age, more real and more important? ... About the situation: I got up during a TV show, went to the toilet and was shocked by what I saw in the bathroom mirror. I had just been acting so funny and silly with my husband and feeling so young and then this! A face with smile lines that was older than I felt! I'll probably have to get used to that. But luckily I'm too busy to be vain. And I don't have the time to complain (which doesn't mean I can do without it!).  Yes: There is magic inherent in every age. The older you get, the more the inner magic prevails. :-)

 

The perfect adults without a childhood?

I think it also works the other way around: sometimes there are twenty-year-olds who are sixty inside. Have you seen the new, young news anchors? And these actually still young people in perfect (also old-fashioned - old-fashioned is the new 'MODERN') costumes, in suits, with three degrees, four children, books, cooking shows, blogs and... you know what I mean. Yes, they were definitely born adults. You impress me. And they scare me. What kind of society are we if we no longer have time for childhood?

Stehen mit ausgestreckten Armen zum Himmel

My personal collection of thoughts on the topic of “time” and “growing older”

Where does the term “age” come from?

Origin: Middle High German alter, Old High German altar, Germanic *aldra-, Indo-European *altro-, which belongs to the root *al- “to grow, to nourish”; the word has been used since around 800. Synonyms: age.

Time

Some time ago I heard the phrase in a radio play: “Do we know each other from a time when we had even more life ahead of us?” That touched me.

 

Now that I have passed the zenith myself, every now and then I inevitably deal with the topic of “time” and getting older.

Age

Do you know the saying: Everyone wants to grow old, but no one wants to be old?

 

In our society, growing old no longer seems to exist as much as it used to, because everyone wants to look and be young, youthful, fit, chic and sporty for as long as possible. There used to be real grandmas with pleated skirts, perms, sweet perfume, fur coats, on wide heels next to grandpas with walking sticks, flat caps and newspapers under their arms. Cliché images, right. But the cliché images really existed. And now, whether it's storming or snowing, you can see seniors in tight cycling shorts, women with walking sticks walking (pronounce that in German!) and even on the promenade on the beach, older women and men jump into the Baltic Sea in autumn, to swim a daring lap because they have “always done it that way”. They are fitter than the middle-aged and prefer to go for a walk in the car - they are in no hurry, but in the checkout lines they are - when you are in a hurry yourself. 

Because I have to be consciously aware that at some point I too will probably be sneaking along country roads in my car (if I'm lucky and can still drive and still have one) and hope to be let in at the checkout because it's here or there hurts or I have a doctor's appointment, I think I should be more lenient and have more patience. I had the patience in South America too. The eternally long queues with the Paraguayans...

Where does the term “parent” come from?

Parents. The German word “parents” (from Indo-European al “nourish, grow”) emerged in the early Middle Ages by equating the terms father and mother (Old High German eltiron around 765 AD).

How old do you feel? Is there a fixed inner age? Perhaps!

Time - measured by the clock - is something very subjective in our respective perception of reality. Just like the internally felt age from which we perceive ourselves. I think everyone gets stuck in some favorite age and has their self-image stuck there, so that they get frightened every time, or not every time, but more often, when they look in the mirror and ask themselves: Who is that? Who is that? I? I feel completely different! - This only corresponds to my subjective perception and the stories of others. To prove this scientifically, I would have to do some research, which I might do. See above: This is my collecting corner!

Absurd - What is real?

I think something like this happened to me recently: the collision of inner, perceived age with outer appearance. It was a feeling of absurdity, of inauthenticity, and yet it was more real because the outside was really visible. But was it more real? Isn't the inner feeling of life, the perceived age, more real and more important? ... About the situation: I got up during a TV show, went to the toilet and was shocked by what I saw in the bathroom mirror. I had just been acting so funny and silly with my husband and feeling so young and then this! A face with smile lines that was older than I felt! I'll probably have to get used to that. But luckily I'm too busy to be vain. And I don't have the time to complain (which doesn't mean I can do without it!).  Yes: There is magic inherent in every age. The older you get, the more the inner magic prevails. :-)

 

The perfect adults without a childhood?

I think it also works the other way around: sometimes there are twenty-year-olds who are sixty inside. Have you seen the new, young news anchors? And these actually still young people in perfect (also old-fashioned - old-fashioned is the new 'MODERN') costumes, in suits, with three degrees, four children, books, cooking shows, blogs and... you know what I mean. Yes, they were definitely born adults. You impress me. And they scare me. What kind of society are we if we no longer have time for childhood?

Bank mit Aussicht

My personal collection of thoughts on the topic of “time” and “growing older”

Where does the term “age” come from?

Origin: Middle High German alter, Old High German altar, Germanic *aldra-, Indo-European *altro-, which belongs to the root *al- “to grow, to nourish”; the word has been used since around 800. Synonyms: age.

Time

Some time ago I heard the phrase in a radio play: “Do we know each other from a time when we had even more life ahead of us?” That touched me.

 

Now that I have passed the zenith myself, every now and then I inevitably deal with the topic of “time” and getting older.

Age

Do you know the saying: Everyone wants to grow old, but no one wants to be old?

 

In our society, growing old no longer seems to exist as much as it used to, because everyone wants to look and be young, youthful, fit, chic and sporty for as long as possible. There used to be real grandmas with pleated skirts, perms, sweet perfume, fur coats, on wide heels next to grandpas with walking sticks, flat caps and newspapers under their arms. Cliché images, right. But the cliché images really existed. And now, whether it's storming or snowing, you can see seniors in tight cycling shorts, women with walking sticks walking (pronounce that in German!) and even on the promenade on the beach, older women and men jump into the Baltic Sea in autumn, to swim a daring lap because they have “always done it that way”. They are fitter than the middle-aged and prefer to go for a walk in the car - they are in no hurry, but in the checkout lines they are - when you are in a hurry yourself. 

Because I have to be consciously aware that at some point I too will probably be sneaking along country roads in my car (if I'm lucky and can still drive and still have one) and hope to be let in at the checkout because it's here or there hurts or I have a doctor's appointment, I think I should be more lenient and have more patience. I had the patience in South America too. The eternally long queues with the Paraguayans...

Where does the term “parent” come from?

Parents. The German word “parents” (from Indo-European al “nourish, grow”) emerged in the early Middle Ages by equating the terms father and mother (Old High German eltiron around 765 AD).

How old do you feel? Is there a fixed inner age? Perhaps!

Time - measured by the clock - is something very subjective in our respective perception of reality. Just like the internally felt age from which we perceive ourselves. I think everyone gets stuck in some favorite age and has their self-image stuck there, so that they get frightened every time, or not every time, but more often, when they look in the mirror and ask themselves: Who is that? Who is that? I? I feel completely different! - This only corresponds to my subjective perception and the stories of others. To prove this scientifically, I would have to do some research, which I might do. See above: This is my collecting corner!

Absurd - What is real?

I think something like this happened to me recently: the collision of inner, perceived age with outer appearance. It was a feeling of absurdity, of inauthenticity, and yet it was more real because the outside was really visible. But was it more real? Isn't the inner feeling of life, the perceived age, more real and more important? ... About the situation: I got up during a TV show, went to the toilet and was shocked by what I saw in the bathroom mirror. I had just been acting so funny and silly with my husband and feeling so young and then this! A face with smile lines that was older than I felt! I'll probably have to get used to that. But luckily I'm too busy to be vain. And I don't have the time to complain (which doesn't mean I can do without it!).  Yes: There is magic inherent in every age. The older you get, the more the inner magic prevails. :-)

 

The perfect adults without a childhood?

I think it also works the other way around: sometimes there are twenty-year-olds who are sixty inside. Have you seen the new, young news anchors? And these actually still young people in perfect (also old-fashioned - old-fashioned is the new 'MODERN') costumes, in suits, with three degrees, four children, books, cooking shows, blogs and... you know what I mean. Yes, they were definitely born adults. You impress me. And they scare me. What kind of society are we if we no longer have time for childhood?

To the blog

bottom of page