Diversity

Wieviel wird derzeit über Gender und Verschiedenartigkeit von Frauen, Männer, diversen Lebensformen und Transgender berichtet, gesprochen gestritten, von sexueller Orientierung politisch korrekter Bezeichnung, Diskriminierung.., Letzte Woche stand ich mit meinem Radl an der Ampel, vor mir ein junger Mann mit Rennrad und Rosen T-Shirt, ein richtig cooler Typ, ich hab ihn gleich angesprochen, dass ich sein T-Shirt so schön finde. Ich dachte mir, ob er wohl mit Rosen-T-Shirt ins Büro fährt, was die Kollegen und der Chef wohl sagen. Auf alle Fälle ist er mutig und vielleicht sogar ein Trendsetter. Als ich eine junge Mama war, war es noch ziemlich unüblich Babys im Tragetuch zu tragen, vor allem Männer machten das kaum. Wir machten es trotzdem, es gab komische Blicke und auch ein paar komische Bemerkungen, heute ist es normal, dass Eltern mit ihren Kinder im Tragesack in die Stadt gehen, dass Väter zum Säuglingdpflegekurs mitkommen und Elternzeit nehmen. Ich denke nicht, dass sich in unseren Genen etwas geändert hat, diese Grenzen, Trennungen und Vorstellung von von dem was man tut oder nicht tun darf, existieren eher im Kopf. Sicher würde sich einiges ändern auf dieser Welt, wenn wir mehr das leben, was wir selbst für gut und richtig finden, was sich gut anfühlt und nicht dauernd danach schielen, was Mann oder Frau macht und was gerade gesellschaftlich en vogue ist. Wir haben so viele Lebensmöglichkeiten, nützen wir sie, wie das so viele Menschen jetzt schon tun. Viel Spaß beim Ausprobieren!

Gertrud Müller

Diversity

A lot is being said at the moment about the differences between women and men, about sexual orientation, political correctness and discrimination. Last week, I was waiting at a traffic light on my bicycle, in front of me was a young man with road bike and a T-shirt with a rose print, a really cool guy. I told him straight away that I liked his T-shirt. I wondered whether he goes to the office in a T-shirt with rose print, wondered what his colleagues and manager might say. In any case, he has courage and maybe he’s even a trendsetter. When I was a young mum, carrying babies in a sling was very uncommon, especially men hardly wore babies. We still did it, we got strange looks and comments. Today, it’s normal for parents to take their children to town in a sling, for fathers to attend courses on baby care and to take parental leave. I don’t think that anything has changed in our genes. These boundaries, separation and ideas of what is and isn’t the done thing exist more in the mind. Things would certainly change in this world  if we lived life more in the way we think is right, if we didn’t constantly check what one does, what’s currently fashionable in society. We have so many options in life, let’s use them the way many people already do. Enjoy trying it out

Diversity

A lot is being said at the moment about the differences between women and men, about sexual orientation, political correctness and discrimination. Last week, I was waiting at a traffic light on my bicycle, in front of me was a young man with road bike and a T-shirt with a rose print, a really cool guy. I told him straight away that I liked his T-shirt. I wondered whether he goes to the office in a T-shirt with rose print, wondered what his colleagues and manager might say. In any case, he has courage and maybe he’s even a trendsetter. When I was a young mum, carrying babies in a sling was very uncommon, especially men hardly wore babies. We still did it, we got strange looks and comments. Today, it’s normal for parents to take their children to town in a sling, for fathers to attend courses on baby care and to take parental leave. I don’t think that anything has changed in our genes. These boundaries, separation and ideas of what is and isn’t the done thing exist more in the mind. Things would certainly change in this world  if we lived life more in the way we think is right, if we didn’t constantly check what one does, what’s currently fashionable in society. We have so many options in life, let’s use them the way many people already do. Enjoy trying it out!

Sommer Ade!

Die Getreidefelder sind abgeerntet, die gelben Blumen am Wegesrand künden den nahenden Herbst, Morgennebel und kürzere Tage sagen Sommer ade. Jedes Jahr fällt mir der Abschied vom Sommer schwer, von der Sonne, dem blauen Himmel und den schönen Wolken, von den fröhlichen Kindern, die draußen toben und den vielen Menschen, die mir begegnen. Dieses Jahr ist es anders,
der Sommer hat mich bedrückt mit Unwetter, weltweiten Waldbränden, ich konnte meine Tochter und meinen Enkel in England nicht besuchen, die erniedrigende Wortwahl im Wahlkampf und der ständige Impfstreit, die unangenehmen Masken überall und die nicht endende Gewalt unter den Menschen lassen mich gut Abschied nehmen von diesem Sommer. Ich hoffe und wünsche so sehr, dass wir Menschen nach diesen Katastrophen heuer, nach den Wahlen und durch die gemeinsam erlebte Bedrohung, lernen es besser zu machen, damit auch meine Enkel und die kommenden Generationen noch eine gute Zukunft haben auf diesem Planeten.
Bitte tragen wir alle dazu bei, dass diese Erde ein guter Ort zu leben ist und bleiben kann.

Eine gute neue Woche

Gertrud Müller

The fields have been harvested, the yellow flowers by the side of the road announce the approaching autumn, morning mist and shorter days say goodbye summer. Every year, I find it hard to say goodbye to summer, to the sun, the blue sky and the beautiful clouds, to the happy children running around outside and the many people I meet. This year, it’s different. The summer depressed me with its storms, worldwide wildfires, I could not visit my daughter and grandson in England, the demeaning language used during the election campaign and the constant arguments about vaccination, the uncomfortable masks everywhere make it easy for me to say goodbye to this summer. I hope and wish so much that we can learn to do better after all these catastrophes this year, after the elections and the collective experience of threat so that my grandchildren and future generations can still have a good future on this planet. Please can we all contribute to making and keeping this Earth a good place to live.

Have a good new week

Goodbye summer

The fields have been harvested, the yellow flowers by the side of the road announce the approaching autumn, morning mist and shorter days say goodbye summer. Every year, I find it hard to say goodbye to summer, to the sun, the blue sky and the beautiful clouds, to the happy children running around outside and the many people I meet. This year, it’s different. The summer depressed me with its storms, worldwide wildfires, I could not visit my daughter and grandson in England, the demeaning language used during the election campaign and the constant arguments about vaccination, the uncomfortable masks everywhere make it easy for me to say goodbye to this summer. I hope and wish so much that we can learn to do better after all these catastrophes this year, after the elections and the collective experience of threat so that my grandchildren and future generations can still have a good future on this planet. Please can we all contribute to making and keeping this Earth a good place to live.

Have a good new week

Gertrud Müller

Singen

Wir singen in einem kleinen Chor, das macht sehr viel Freude, wir singen heitere, nachdenkliche, meditative, kunstvolle,…Lieder. Jetzt ist es Gott sei Dank wieder möglich zu Singen. Singen macht nicht nur Freude, Singen ist auch gesund für die Lunge, es trainiert das Gehirn, stärkt den Kehlkopf, harmonisiert Körper und Psyche. Leider haben wir uns angewöhnt uns immer mehr mit Musik berieseln zu lassen statt selbst zu singen. Es gibt viele Lieder schöne Lieder, die es wert sind gesungen zu werden, z.B um Krisen besser zu meistern, um überstandene Mühe und Arbeit zu besingen, für den guten Ausgang von schwierigen Zeiten zu danken oder für den Abend nach einem guten Tag. Diesen Sonntag singen wir im Garten eines Seniorenheims. Die Senioren erinnern sich gern an die Zeiten als noch viel gesungen wurde. Machen wir es wie die Menschen früher, singen wir wieder gute, hoffnungsvolle Lieder. Es gibt viele Anlässe bei denen wir singen können zum Geburtstag, zur Hochzeit, einfach im Alltag, bei der Arbeit, wenn etwas schwer geht oder wir uns freuen. Ich singe auch gern beim Radeln in der Natur und wünsche uns allen, dass wir wieder Freude und Lust am Singen entwickeln.

Gertrud Müller

Climate, climate, climate

I used to love crackling bonfires and thunderstorms, the dark clouds, lightning and thunder. I always tried to be careful with fire and to find cover during a  thunderstorm. These days, storm clouds and fire scare me more. Nature seems to become more unpredictable. An anxious glance at the sky when it’s hot, do I have enough protection from sun and fire, does the app show any weather front approaching. I think I am not the only one feeling like this. There are many climate related conflicts erupting at the moment, unnerved citizens are asking questions, political parties want to win voters in the upcoming the elections, there are arguments on who has what rights and responsibilities, how nature can best be protected. The current thunderstorms have turned into more severe storms, the heat in many countries leads to drought, wildfires and food shortage, in other regions lockdowns and famines threaten livelihoods. Many seem heartless these days, they say that other people and countries don’t concern us. We will probably only survive these deep crises if we pull together, each in their own way. What certainly doesn’t seem inviting in this regard is forced community and mutual support. When helping others becomes compulsory or calculated, it is done without love, it is perceived as uncharitable and it no longer is truly helping. Let’s observe people who really are helping each other to see what truly helping looks like: people help each other because they want to do it, because they feel sorry for the other person, because they think that they could end up in a similar situation and would be happy to receive help from others. Let’s help others truly and authentically, so we will feel useful for each other. Enjoy helping each other!

 

Radltour

Im Sommer fahre ich besonders gern mit dem Radel, weit hinaus durch Felder und Wälder, vorbei an Seen, Bächen, Dörfern, Weiden, Kirchen und Schlössern. Radeln schont die Umwelt und ist gut für Gesundheit und Fitness. Besonders Spaß machen Radeltouren mit lieben Menschen, die ebenfalls die Natur lieben. Mit dem Radel sieht und hört man noch wahre Naturidylle, fernab von Straßen und Lärm: Bäche rauschen, Seerosen verzaubern kleine Seen, das Vogelzwitschern beruhigt, anstrengend geht es bergauf und beim Abwärtsfahren ist der Fahrtwind zu spüren. Jeder Kilometer den wir mit dem Radel fahren bringt ein gutes Gewissen, hilft der Natur, stärkt die Gesundheit und damit die eigene Lebensqualität und die Lebensqualität für andere Menschen, Tiere und Pflanzen. Wir können mit relativ wenig Aufwand so viel Gutes tun.
Wenn wir neben dem Radlfahren darauf achten nur Lebensmittel zu besorgen, die später nicht weggeworfen werden, etwas weniger Kleidung kaufen und weniger Fleisch essen, dann haben wir viel Gutes getan, das machen übrigens immer mehr Menschen. Es lebt sich leichter mit gutem Gewissen, gerade jetzt in einer Zeit, in der uns immer klarer wird, dass wir die Erde mit unserem bisherigen Lebensstil kaputt machen.

Eine schöne neue Woche

Gertrud Müller

Bicycle tour

I like to cycle in summer, far away through fields and forest, past lakes, streams, villages, pasture, churches and castles. Cycling is good for the environment, health and fitness. I especially enjoy going on bicycle tours with friends who also love nature. It is still possible to see and hear unspoilt nature, far away from roads and noise: streams murmur, water lilies enchant small lakes, birdsong calms, it’s hard work riding uphill and you can feel the headwind going downhill. Every kilometre we cycle brings with it a clear conscience, helps nature, strengthens health and therefore the own quality of life as well as the quality of life for other people, animals and plants. We can do so much good with so little effort. If, aside from cycling, we also try to obtain food that doesn’t get thrown away later, buy less clothing and eat less meat, then we’ve done a lot of good, many people are doing this now. Life is lighter with a clear conscience than with the idea of being a scrounger.

Climate, climate, climate

I used to love crackling bonfires and thunderstorms, the dark clouds, lightning and thunder. I always tried to be careful with fire and to find cover during a  thunderstorm. These days, storm clouds and fire scare me more. Nature seems to become more unpredictable. An anxious glance at the sky when it’s hot, do I have enough protection from sun and fire, does the app show any weather front approaching. I think I am not the only one feeling like this. There are many climate related conflicts erupting at the moment, unnerved citizens are asking questions, political parties want to win voters in the upcoming the elections, there are arguments on who has what rights and responsibilities, how nature can best be protected. The current thunderstorms have turned into more severe storms, the heat in many countries leads to drought, wildfires and food shortage, in other regions lockdowns and famines threaten livelihoods. Many seem heartless these days, they say that other people and countries don’t concern us. We will probably only survive these deep crises if we pull together, each in their own way. What certainly doesn’t seem inviting in this regard is forced community and mutual support. When helping others becomes compulsory or calculated, it is done without love, it is perceived as uncharitable and it no longer is truly helping. Let’s observe people who really are helping each other to see what truly helping looks like: people help each other because they want to do it, because they feel sorry for the other person, because they think that they could end up in a similar situation and would be happy to receive help from others. Let’s help others truly and authentically, so we will feel useful for each other. Enjoy helping each other!