You, I, one, we

You, I, one, we

Some of you may have noticed that, for the most part, I don’t write about “you” or the very general “one” in my texts. Every now and then, I share a personal story of my own to be more personal and precise. Most of the time, however, I write observations about “us”—as people, as a society, as a culture.

This can trigger resistance in some people when I write about things that might affect some people, but not that specific person. And it’s true. This “we” can never be precise enough to truly express who is included and who is not. Nevertheless, it is a very conscious decision on my part to write in this way. read more

Frosty, My Freeze Dryer

Frosty, My Freeze Dryer

Not everyone named Frosty has to be a snowman.

“Oh cool, you have a freeze dryer! I’ve been thinking about buying a dehydrator or a freeze dryer myself!”—That, or something similar, was a common reaction to my new “family member”, which I named “Frosty” on a friend’s suggestion.

In the U.S. and Canada, this device is already much more widespread—probably mainly because of the large prepper community—but in Europe, it’s not yet very well known, at least for home use. My guess is that it’s mainly due to its size and price. Both of these factors have surprised most people – including myself. read more

The faces of poverty

The faces of poverty

How we can view and redefine poverty from a different perspective

Even though I sometimes believed it as a child, I was never really financially poor. This meant I had the privilege of enjoying a comprehensive education. However, for a long time, I didn't realize that I was impoverished in other areas. Only now am I slowly recognizing the different faces and forms of poverty and what effects they have. And that the lack of something and the possession of something else does not automatically trigger the feeling of being poor or rich.

Total availability and the creeping loss of silence

Total availability and the creeping loss of silence

“What? You spend several hours a day talking to people all over the world?” – These words from a good friend stuck with me. Even though it’s part of my job, I knew that I had once again lost my way. I was basically available 24/7, and the consequences were obvious. That’s why, right after Christmas, I spontaneously decided to go “offline” again after a long time. I wanted to be unavailable to others for at least one day and not be able to reach anyone either.

When we are surrounded by a culture/society that is not good for us for too long, sooner or later we get carried away. No matter how well we know from past experience that it is not good for us. Then we need a strong network of people who build a different culture. People and a value system that remind us again and again to anchor ourselves within us and in the here and now. read more

My wish list for the getting-colder season of 2025

My wish list for the getting-colder season of 2025

During a blogging event organized by Judith Peters, called Blogtoberfest, I was presented with the idea of writing a “personal” blog post in which I list a kind of bucket list (a “to-want” list) for the next quarter and explain why.

Why I don’t write a to-want list

She invites us to write a “to-want” list instead of a “to-do” list, which is an exciting approach of rewiring our brain. I often talk about how crucial the words we use are because they affect how we actually feel. And yet there is a strange feeling. It’s as if we’re just sugarcoating the whole thing without changing anything at its root. However, the more I thought about the question, the “to-want” list became a “want” list and then a wish list. read more