I have been in my home country for a week. Soaked in people, news, reactions. Here are some thought blurbs and a wish.

Greece and Immigration, two dominating themes…The public TV station makes an effort of finding the human story,a pensioned teacher developed a convenient German guide. It explains the meaning of a red traffic light, how to use the veggie scale in German grocery stores. Hourly news paint a different story, politicians fighting over budgets, state against federal government. Germany cannot handle the amount of refugees arriving every day. They are hungry, thirsty and exhausted. Scared and alone. And German politicians argue about budgets. All these white male, mid-fifties, usually obese, officials might as well piss in front of the immigrant tent cities. It sends the same message. Lack of solidarity.

In our neighborhood, there is a woman that lives alone in a four apartment house, she removes wild flowers from the perfect lawn. Rent the apartments? No, no, she wouldn’t want strangers in the house. “Strangers are friends we have not yet met”, said the Bed&Breakfast owner in Plymouth every day.

After a century of turmoil, Germany has become one of the greatest countries to live in. Its well-off, it is safe, it is organized. So is the majority of its inhabitants. But, guess what, Germany, I have news: You can be one without loosing the other. You will not loose these characteristics by displaying empathy, by letting go of some rules, by fucking the budget to help. You can be both, Germany, rigid and loving. Let’s not be fearful, let’s be curious.