Tanner
Project Manager in Gontenschwil, Schweiz
Born 1963, december, 24, it was all my lifetime a special day. To make it clear I didn't get twice as many presents, but infact half as many as probably you got: "It's your birthday gift, and XMAS gift as well." After 50 years I am really beyond any sad feelings.
I am living in Switzerland. This is a nice place to be. The top advantage: It's a small world, a very small world.
You probably know 'People from Seldwyla', a nice novel written by Gottfried Keller between 1853 to 1855.
What's the story all about? It is a masterpiece of German literatur. It's also about narrow minded people living in a small town located in a small country.
What did Keller have in mind? No idea, but some things never change. Never.
What to tell 'bout me? Hm..., speaking Swiss German as native language and standard German I also learned French and English at school. It is not so important what language people can talk. But even more important is listening to them. Listening honestly implies an open will to understand, and listening by the heart. I wish people would listen more to each other, instead of just talking.
20 years of practicing aikido, a Japanese martial art that was introduced by O-sensei, Morihei Ueshiba, in the first half of the 20th century, has shown me the way of the warrior, and the way of harmony, which means blending with the energy, not working against it. Aikido is also an art, and it belongs to budo class. This summarizes all Japanese martial arts practiced by the samurai. The meaning of 'budo' is 'finishing the conflict', piecefully if ever possible, but also being prepared for another way. Technically I mastered the 4th degree black-belt aikido aikikai style.
Being a philantropist I also respect other people opinions and believes, as long as I may have my own ones, that are based on thinking. Thomas Watson senior, the founder of IBM Corp., used to make a gift to newly promoted managers at IBM. The gift was a plate with the simple word "THINK" on it. Try this! As soon as you start thinking, you will never give it up again.