Happy Diwali!

Circles of Understanding: India

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“The parents of the Frog Prince had also sat by and watched their beautiful golden-haired son turning into a disgusting frog under their very eyes–which the son must certainly have wished to do, deep down. Such things happen.” [Christa Wolf]
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If you have read the “Diary of Ann Frank”, read also the books of Christa Wolf. Although they never met, Christa Wolf and Ann Frank were both born in Germany in 1929, just three months apart.

Ann Frank died many years ago in a Nazi prison camp. Christa Wolf, a former member of the Nazi Youth groups, lived to a ripe old age, dying this past December [2011] at age eighty-two.

Book One: “The Quest for Christa T.”
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“Nachdenken über Christa T.” was banned in East Germany in 1968, a year in which the Western world was exuberantly practing its freedom of speech and right to protest. It easy for Westerners, accustomed to wallowing in and abusing our own freedom of speech, to miss the significance of the civil courage, the daring and the bravery involved in writing and publishing a first-hand account of life in a repressive society.

“The Quest for Christa T.” is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book. It is a story of the life and death of an introspective young woman growing up in Nazi Germany, dying at age 31 in Communist East Germany.

Why ban this book?

It spoke truth to power.

“… [Christa T.] had lost the capacity to live in a state of rapture. The vehement overplayed words, the waving banners, the deafening songs, the hands clapping rhythms over our heads. She felt how words begin to change when they aren’t being tossed out any more by belief and ineptitude and excessive zeal but by calculation, craftiness, the urge to adapt and conform. Our words, not even false ones–how easy it would be if they were!–but the person speaking them has become a different person. Does that change everything?” [pg 56]

Why write this book?

“There are scars which only give pain when one has to go on growing. Should one keep quiet because one’s afraid of the pain?”

“Useless to pretend it’s for [Christa's] sake. Once and for all, she doesn’t need us. So we should be certain of one thing: that it’s for our sake. Because it seems we need her.” [pg 5]

Why read this book?

The academic words for a book like “The Quest for Christa T.” are “Philosophical Realism” and “Subjective Authenticity.” My own words for this book are “Poignant,” “perfectly beautiful” and “a compelling read.”

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Book Two: “Patterns of Childhood.”

“Patterns of Childhood” was originally published in 1976 in East Germany as “Kindheitsmuster” at the time of the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Wolf’s book is an important contribution to understanding life under the Third Reich, asking philosophical, moral and ethical questions of herself and others.

Through beautiful prose and carefully documented history, Christa Wolf presents (in third person as ‘Nelly Jordan’), her memoir of growing up in Nazi Germany. Third person because, as Wolf notes she must “either fictionalize or become tongue-tied when it comes to personal matters.”

Through the prism of childhood memories and questions posed by Nelly’s modern daughter, Christa Wolf teaches us much about a people who were slowly sucked into the changing social and cultural norms of the Third Reich.

We come to realize that “tuning out” the news can happen to any people, in any country, at any time.“Something was going on all right, we just didn’t know what.” [pg 143]

Nelly, a nice girl, an excellent athlete and ardent member of the Nazi Youth Groups, believes what she is taught in school:

“Eichmann and Hoess were extremely hardworking German men, obsessed by their task, and nothing drove them to greater despair than the lack of understanding and negligence of those around them.”[pg 242]

“A German girl must be able to hate,” Herr Warsinski said: “Jews and Communists and other enemies of the people. Jesus Christ would today be a follower of the Fuhrer and hate the Jews.” [pg 128].

Nelly has never heard of Auschwitz and in the German newsreels of her day, only the enemy dies.

“My will is your faith.” [Adolf Hitler].

As she grows, she almost intuitively understands that things are not exactly as they have been presented. When her mentally unstable aunt disappears and the women in the family begin to fall apart, Nelly realizes that Aunt Dottie has been euthanized in one of Hitler’s “cleansing” programs.

Nelly senses that it wouldn’t take much to succumb to a very un-German feeling; compassion. When two men in trench coats frighten her outspoken mother, and a girl at school is chastised for inappropriate questions, a shadow of fear begins to grow.

As the Allies begin bombing Germany, a classmate who has been taught to idolize Hitler kills his parents and himself.

Nelly’s family and their neighbors are forced to flee their homes. Their village will be given to Poland. Her father, once in charge of prisoners of war, is now in a Russian camp.

Nelly finds her own refugee status oddly familiar. “She knew from way back that one can be under a magic spell, but she was a lttle surprised–as anyone would be–that this could happen to her.”

Nelly, who grew up giving a vigorous Hitler salute, painstakingly learns she must say “hello” and “good-bye” instead.

Among the many significant lessons to be learned from Christa Wolf are:
.that to be affected but not seriously endangered can become a formula for living
.that emotional numbness can look like courage
.and that anybody seems to be able to get used to anything.
. It is important to say “NO’ to power no matter the cost.

Now she asks: How can you reconcile the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill”, or the request: “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, with the doctrine of other people’s inferiority?

Kim Burdick
Stanton, DE

For Gunter Grass’s eulogy for Christa Wolf see: http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/jan/17/gunter-grass-christa-wolf-what-remains/

For a website of related interest see: opendemocracy.net

For Christa Wolf’s own thoughts on “Quest for Christa T.” visit Signandsight.com -Let’s Talk European. In this 2005 interview Wolf said: “The sentence “When, if not now” is the compressed expression of the knowledge that every day is precious. It colours the entire book, which I wrote after the death of my close friend.”

WTF? Princeton Battlefield Threatened by Housing Development ???
By Kim Burdick, Advisor Emeritus National Trust for Historic Preservation

The Institute for Advanced Study wants to build on-campus faculty housing, but faces opposition from many across the country who want to preserve a potential extension of Princeton Battlefield State Park.

Opposition to the Institute’s proposed housing development is rising—not only in Princeton, but across the Nation.

Safely across the Delaware River and out of the line of fire, I am wondering why the Institute for Advanced Studies is short-sighted.

By shifting their thinking only a little bit, they could easily emerge as the real heroes of the New Battle of Princeton instead of looking like a bunch of goons and bullies.

.Is the Institute for Advanced Study’s goal really to destroy an important piece of history? Probably not, but…

. Damage the environment? Probably not, but…

. Did that dude really, truly, say that Einstein is more important than George Washington? Probably yes, but…

that fellow is excused–in America anyone can say pretty much whatever he wants: thanks to George Washington and his colleagues.

Was that person an official spokesperson for IAS? Probably not, but…

This situation reminds me of my mother who used to scold her brilliant and beautiful honor roll children, sighing: “If this is what the smart kids are doing today, I’d hate to see what the dumb ones are doing.”

The Institute’s goal is housing, right? OK. Imagine easy pedestrian access to schools, libraries and grocery stores. Imagine living in beautiful Victorians, brick colonials, charming wood framed houses with spacious porches. Why not buy up a block of row houses? Be heroes–create Princeton’s version of Society Hill or Alexandria.

The real deal—authentic historic housing—keeps its value; appeals to scholars, preservationists, environmentalists, geeks of all sizes and shapes. In a beautiful historic center like Princeton, good stewardship counts. Deals with bull-headed developers are not attractive.

For the same amount of money the Institute is spending on legal fees and new housing construction IAS could circumvent a lot of ugly publicity and put a positive spin on the situation. Surely, wasting money on legal battles is not money well spent?
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My suggestion, only a suggestion: take advantage of the bad economy; tap into Preservation Trust Fund, get business tax credits, and buy up some of the lovely old homes in the Princeton area that are languishing in this economy.

The members of the Institute for Advanced Study would look like good neighbors and superior citizens. They could get positive press not only nationally but internationally. As it is, they are being slapped upside the head and irritating potential partners.

Housing is easily come by. Land swaps are cool. Tinkering with a controversial part of an important historical region is stupid, dumb, and both ecologically and politically insensitive.

Surely the so-called “smartest people in the world” should have enough brains not to push for something that makes them look like such losers. One thing the Institute could learn from George Washington is that retreat is sometimes the most effective strategy.
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Public Hearing at 7 PM Dec 8 at 400 Witherspoon St., Princeton Township Town across from Conte’s.

For more information on the new Battle of Princeton contact: Jerry Hurwitz President, Princeton Battlefield Society ( c )609-947-6574 (w) 609-243-6190

. Princeton Battlefield Society is a 501 c 3 (charitable) corporation

Institute’s Housing Plan Gets Tough Introduction princeton.patch.com. Institute’s Housing Plan Gets Tough Introduction princeton.patch.com

Gerda Lerner’s book “Why History Matters,” 1997, Oxford University Press [pg 66] contains this fascinating story about the early peace and civil rights activists:

“Nonviolent resistance to mob action was one aspect of silent moral persuasion. This form of action was particularly suited to women, who were, as yet, unused to speaking in public. Antislavery women, did, however, hold meetings. One of the first of these was the meeting of the Female Anti-Slavery Society in Boston, which was to become famous as the result of the attempted lynching of [William Lloyd] Garrison. The action of the women deserves as least as much attention as Garrison’s ordeal. In the face of an armed and angry crowd, which demanded they expel the Negroes present at the meeting, the women formed into an orderly procession, black and white women walking side by side through the mob, each woman looking directly into the face of one of the attackers as though to shame him. Their walk through the mob became a moral triumph instead of a retreat and they went unmolested to another place to continue their interrupted meeting.”

Hard to believe that this was written in Europe before WWII…It could have been written in America this past month…

“Look at all the incredible savagery going on in our so-called civilized world, all of which is derived from human beings and their mental condition

Look at the devilish means of destruction! They are invented by perfectly harmless gentlemen, reasonable, respectable citizens, being all we hope to be. And when the whole thing blows up and causes an indescribable inferno of devastation, nobody seems to be responsible. It simply occurs, yet it is all manmade.

But since every person is blindly convinced that he is nothing but his very modest and unimportant consciousness, which neatly fulfils duties and earns a moderate living, nobody is aware that this whole rationally organized crowd, called a state or a nation, is run by a seemingly impersonal, imperceptible but terrific power, checked by nobody and by nothing.

This ghastly power is mostly explained by fear of the neighboring nation, which is supposed to be possessed by a malevolent devil. As nobody is capable of recognizing where and how much he himself is possessed and unconscious, one simply projects one’s own condition upon the neighbor, and thus it becomes a sacred duty to have the biggest guns and the most poisonous gas.

The worst of it all is that one is quite right. all one’s neighbors are ruled by an uncontrolled and uncontrollable fear just like oneself. In lunatic asylums, it is a well-known fact that patients are far more dangerous when suffering from fear than when moved by wrath or hatred,”

[Carl Jung. Psychology & Religion. Yale University Press. 1938.pg 60]

Isn’t it strange? Yesterday I bought a copy of Kahlil Gibran’s “the Prophet” at a second-hand bookstore and the clerk asked if I remembered how much we had loved “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” and “Love Story” when we were in school. Why, yes, of course.

This morning I woke up wondering loudly to myself what our generation has really accomplished. Many of the things we fought for in the Viet Nam era have happened, including Civil Rights and civil unions, women in the workforce … computers have been wonderful, but–eh–whatever happened to World Peace; compassion; love one another?

The nation is like the aged dog that lies in front of the fireplace whimpering in its sleep. It only occasionally dashes madly after the cat now–mostly because it wants to be left alone.

“The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious and devout souls everywhere are of one religion and when death has taken off the mask, they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wore here make them strangers.” [William Penn]

“We covenant with the Lord and one with another  and do bind ourselves in the presence of God,  to walk together in all his ways, according as he is pleased to reveal himself unto us in his blessed Word of truth. ” [1629 covenant. Puritan founders of The First Church in Salem, Massachusetts]

Seventeenth century theology was harsh in many ways, but the simplicity, sincerity,and sense of community, tell me the faith of my fathers was real.

By Kim Rogers Burdick, MA, MPA

Studying history is like looking through a kaleidoscope.

Some things are facts: Columbus sailed in 1492; Pocahontas did NOT marry John Smith; the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776; both slavery and the German Holocaust were real.

Historic facts are not opinions. Value judgements are NOT facts. Facts are the tiny handful of colorful chips in the bottom of the kaleidoscope.

  
Most of the world’s problems are, and always have been, caused by people arguing about whose opinion is best. I call that tunnel vision. Kaleidoscopic vision is much more fun and leads to more open-minded students and citizens.

Hold an imaginary kaleidoscope up to your eye. Twist the bottom of the tube and tell me what you see. Patterns emerge as the kaleidoscope’s pieces shift. The number of chips has not changed, yet our eyes see new things.

As the image forms, we begin to make value judgements.  “That is a beautiful pattern. I dislike that particular combination. Come and see this one—oh, wait—it moved…”

No matter how you fuss and fume and carry on, the image you see through your kaleidoscope may not be the same as that seen by the man next door.

You may have the same kaleidoscope: same size, same shape, same names and dates, the same number of colorful chips, but you will notice different things based on your own cultural expectations.

Look through your neighbor’s kaleidoscope and also through that of the woman across the hall. Check out the view in your grandmother’s kaleidoscope. What image does the former lost boy from Sudan – American Olympic runner, Lopez Lumong, see in his kaleidoscope?

Like the patterns produced by shifting the position of the chips in the kaleidoscope, opinions and perceptions about the past can and do change.

Tell me, was the Columbian Exchange good or bad? Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition analogous to dawn or twilight? Is it possible that Reconstruction did not fail? Do the Robber Barons exemplify the American Dream? Would Chief Joseph have admired the accomplishments of Maria Tall Chief, Jim Thorpe, and Ben Nighthorse Campbell? Was John F. Kennedy’s death part of a conspiracy?

Why do you think so? What patterns do you see? Is there a right or wrong answer? Do we need more facts?

http://inoyan.narod.ru/kaleidoskop.swf

Recently I found myself talking to another member of a non-profit I once headed who wanted to know why the current board members were complaining about the extremely competent new leader.

“It’s very clear,” I said. “She is playing a different game than they are. She thinks she is a  hockey goalie but they think she is supposed to be conducting the symphony.”

Being competent is more than keeping perfect record books and rapping people’s knuckles when they, you think, are out of line. Being a competent leader means welcoming new thoughts, fresh ideas, and sometimes even taking criticism.

Remember to ask even the newest and the quietest board members what they think about an issue. Set up some mutually agreed upon benchmarks for the year and make sure the benchmarks have reasonable deadlines.

Then let your people strive to reach those goals, by the deadline, in whatever way they think best.

Giving your members the freedom to be creative while striving for a mutual goal can be very liberating and is actually a lot more fun for you and for them.

Help organization members make beautiful music together and do not  do their work for them.

A cheery “Hello and what do you think about this…” goes a lot farther than a grumpy, “You have violated my rules. What about by-law number three, section b, line 9?’

Think about your members as part of a young orchestra. Think of yourself as the conductor.  An off key flute or solo violin, or even a misplaced drum beat, is not the end of the world.  Eventually your members will understand that working in harmony to produce something special is exciting and worthwhile.

If your people are relaxed and happy, instead of terrified of making a mistake, they will produce more and better work–and you will reap the benefits!