Actually, I already took quite a hike last weekend (Sophienalpe) but didn’t have time to upload photos so you are getting a couple of photos from yesterday’s hike on Wilhelminenberg. As I am fond of saying, “And it’s all within the city limits!” (A friend of mine from London, having heard this multiple times over a couple of hikes, commented, “That seems to be quite important to you.” Yes, it is!)
The big difference between last week’s hike and this was that yesterday, suddenly, the woods smelled autumnal. They had that special sent of fallen and just-starting-to-rot leaves as well as mushrooms.
Whatever time of year, it is all very beautiful, even when the sun isn’t shining.
… but there still are a number of people who feel the way this spectator did: “Why are you running [in this race]?” “For fun.” “Huh. Well, if you think so. I wouldn’t do it.”
Is this the new normal? Attacking people out for an afternoon of fun?
I first saw something about this on the Wiener Alltagspoeten site and then looked for the ORF report (link above). I’ll try to write more about this later, but it is a Tuesday and I do have an appointment with a client shortly.
I did want to put in what the Viennese everyday poet said (photo below), sadly in a very dull translation that doesn’t catch the Viennese tone: When you go to a football match to shoot fireworks at children and to run onto the pitch to pound other people bloody, you’re neither a Rapid fan nor an Austria fan, you’re really just a total idiot.” (Which is putting it mildly if you ask me.)
Mastery. Part of flourishing, according to the positive psychology field. (PERMA for Positive Emotions, Engagement, Positive Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement or mastery)
I love the fact that there is a worldwide competition for the trades. Austria’s gold medalists this year won for flower arranging, tile laying, and work with concrete. The silver medal for painting (e.g., doors) went to a young Austrian woman.
Why am I drawn to writing about this every year? Because I think athletes get too big a share of the glory. Being uniquely good at flower arranging – or building with concrete – is also a wonderful thing and needs to be celebrated more. (I love the Scripps National Spelling Bee, too, for providing celebration of another non-athletic achievement, not to mention often offering an alternative route to a better life for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.)
Additionally, I love seeing young people getting satisfaction out of working with their hands. I may teach at a university (and love academic work myself), but I think far too many students are pushed into it for the prestige. I feel we would all be better off if everyone were encouraged to find what they’re really interested in and were then supported in achieving mastery of it.
Anyway, congratulations to all the competitors at the WorldSkills competition! As the mother of one them said, “In our eyes, they have all already won. To make it to the world championships is such an unbelievable success.”
The Wienfluss (Vienna River) is usually a trickle. It is extraordinary to see it looking like this. Even the extensive construction work done a few years ago to ensure that the underground tracks don’t flood has not been enough. The U4 line is only running from Heiligenstadt to Friedensbrücke at the moment, about a quarter of its usual route. And we are the lucky ones (so far)!
ecbinvienna 