When Peggy and I lived in Germany in the early 90s we fit right in. I think if I had found another Job to pay me we would have stayed. It certainly was an option we considered carefully. We loved the Church we were part of; we loved the people who were our friends. We loved the culture. We toured more castles and attended operas at the drop of a 3-cornered hat. Many times on Sunday afternoons.
I enjoyed the fact that Germans never could quite figure us out. I spoke well enough with an accent that didn’t identify me as an American. They thought I might have been a Frieslander. Peggy didn’t have an accent at all with what German she spoke since she didn’t know she was supposed to.
It is even to this day one of those “”what if”” deals for us. What if we had decided to stay and even become citizens? We both qualified. Germany is one of those countries where your bloodline gives you entree to citizenship. Even today I get a German language feed on our TV. I keep up with German politics and economics. I also like the Taggeshau, which gives a non-American perspective on world events. We were there during the Gulf war. That was interesting. I’m quite interested in the upcoming election. I hope Frau Merkle wins. She most likely will.
I guess it was the will of God for us to come back when we did. I’ll never know.
One thing in long retrospect I miss is Saturday afternoons and Sundays the way they’re done (or were done) in Germany. Stores closed for the most part by 2pm Saturday. And didn’t open again until Monday Morning.
This made rushing off to the mall on Sunday PM for a little shopping or someone not able to be home (or in church) because they had to work on Sundays.
Sunday was a forced family and friends or go for a walk day. There was NOTHING else to do. Gasoline was expensive. So we talked, we ate, we walked, we window-shopped, we went to the park, and we went to the Sunday afternoon dance. It really broke up the week. In fact Germans often number their weeks and don’t say, you’ll get it on the 15th of June, but they will say, you’ll get it week 23.
When I grew up in North Dakota we had “”Blue Laws””. Stores closed, you couldn’t buy liquor on Sunday, and Bars were closed. I don’t know the origin of the name. I suppose if I cared enough I could look it up and find out why.
The Saturday afternoon and Sunday Sabbath rest was a part of life. I don’t think our lives were worse because of it.
Today the world is busier; Tuesday and Sunday for many working people are interchangeable. Even if they were not religious folks Sunday was the Lords day.
My guess is our economy would do just fine if blue laws were implemented nationwide. People would figure it out. I have heard and read all of the arguments for and against Blue Laws. I have seen it work well in a modern age. I don’t think North Dakota is better off for repealing them.
I know Germany isn’t better off for relaxing the restrictions (Wal-Mart, that great paragon of virtue, pushed for repeal of Blue Laws in Germany).
I’m not imagining that anything is going to happen. I just wish it would.
I have lived both and I like it blue better.
1 comment:
I saw Larry Ristvedt at his lemonade stand last night. He and I talked about you. He said that you and I were in agreement on the nature of the evil empire we call Wal-Mart. I wish the three of us had gotten together during your recent visit.
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