Marc's musings

Below are some comments written to a friend after our trip

As I was among travelers I was acutely aware of how privileged I am. Yet, so in many transactions these same people would complain about petty little inconveniences or differences when they had to compromise some expectations. Living with a sense of perspective about who I am, where I live, the benefits and blessings poured into my life helps me moderate any inconvenience. Even with the most curmudgeonly of travelers, I had to remind myself that I didn’t know their story and why they were sour. Perhaps they didn’t know that they were as bitter and sour-faced as they were. I think of the army of barely paid people that support my lifestyle… from delivery people, to box boys, to stockers, to janitors. Everyone must own their circumstance and find joy and contentment in them. Thankfulness looks good on you.

Your comment about geography in its historical context is important. Europe is beautiful and very desirable. After our flight and driving home from Phoenix last night I was looking at vast desert wastelands. This land has been around as long as the European lands, but with comparatively very few people fighting over it. Who wants a patch of dry land with unbearable heat with the nearest water source at Montezuma’s well*? But in those beautiful European lands come the ebb and flow of people who are rich and powerful and the creed of greed or benevolence they choose to live by. How little has changed from those old days and today. Modern leaders still must navigate perceptions. Today, traveling with hundreds of servants to palaces of incredible wealth would not fit with our politically correct culture. Those who lead must still manage perceptions, but in ancient days, projecting wealth and power was essential in positioning oneself among foes and competitors. The gold, gaudy decorations, servants, and castle or palace were that era’s Twitter post.

I found national identity a very curious thing in Europe. On one hand we esteem William I for his efforts at unifying the German states. (See Koblenz post) But Bavarians are much more proud of their Bavarianship than their German heritage. Should we applaud Putin for trying to reclaim unity of Russian-speaking territories or Ukraine for its fierce independence? In Germany, what did it take for William to create this “unity?” How many people were marginalized, dismissed, traumatized, even killed? The borders we passed through (Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary) showed the power and benefits of the European Union. Then there is England, using Pounds instead of Euros, checking passports with their neighbor countries, using different plug outlets, and driving on the wrong side of the street — to name a few eccentricities. Why are they so odious to their neighbors? It’s like the little rebellious, head-strong America was cut from the same cloth. Wait. We are!

Germany suffered great harm at the end of WWII. The devastation is all but erased today except for the purposeful remembrances to commemorate that time. They are a proud people. Germans are disciplined, they like beauty and order, do not drive cars with bashed fenders or bumpers hanging off, and have standards the people are expected to follow. Now take Hungary. They were also devastated from that same period of time. Yet they have not recovered the same as Germany. Why? You can feel the depression in the streets. Buda is rich. Pest is for peasants (generally). The strong thread of identity is still evident in the Germans, English and French. It’s not quite so pronounced elsewhere.

Today, traveling through these lands I was struck by the reality of something at the Marksberg Castle. As soon as the guide said that the castle served as a prison for a number of years, it brought my whole trip into perspective. The castle is what tourists want to see and imagine grand life from the past. The reality is, the old, crumbling, discarded castle lost much of its charm during those years as a prison. Everything in it was reproduced and staged — hardly authentic. I can imagine that during the prison years there was no effort to respect its historical significance or authenticity. If it wasn’t bolted down, it was removed. Once the historical society bought the castle, they dolled it up back to its medieval charm and created a tourist trap. The rest of the trip I had to pay close attention to what was real and the facade our host was trying to project to the paying masses. There were some incredible gems among the tourist flotsam, but one had to look for it.