What a Greta Day!
OK, so this post is only a month late. I had meant to write it right after the federal elections, but then fall break (which is two weeks long here) got in the way. And it’s a good thing too, since it allowed us to finally take that trip to Spain we had originally planned for June 2020. But I’m getting ahead of myself…save that for a future post, Nik.
Fridays for Future called for a protest the Friday before the German election to encourage people to consider the Climate Crisis when heading to the polls. As I found out a few days prior, none other than Greta Thunberg would be attending the event. Since my office is only a few transit stops from the Reichstag, I decided this was my chance to see her and immerse myself in the spirit of the times. As you can see, my 300 closest friends joined me on the 5-minute ride from Alexanderplatz.
Back on the surface, I was a little disappointed to be so far from the stage. On the other hand, I was stoked to see so many young people, families, and like-minded old farts like myself. Unfortunately, Lucas is much too obsessed with continuing his streak of zero unexcused absences to let a no-name highschooler from Sweden shake him out of his daily routine. Breathe, dad, breathe.
After listening to a few bands and enjoying the comedic skills of the day’s emcee, I caught a lucky break when a large chunk of the crowd broke off to march around the government district. At first I stood next to the protest route to take in all the creative signage. But then I realized that the grounds in front of the Reichstag had largely emptied and I ever so surreptitiously made my way closer to the stage.
Needless to say, I didn’t regret it. A short while later the crowd filled back in around me and I was left less than 100 ft. from the stage. And it wasn’t long before Greta herself graced us with her presence and won us over with her steadfast conviction, necessary candor, and authentic humility. Before she burst onto the world stage, climate change was an academic exercise. Now it is a Crisis.
Two days later (yes, on a Sunday, when people are not working…brilliant), I took part in my first ever political elections. While my boys don’t seem too excited for me, I can tell you it was a pretty special experience. And by the color of my mask, you can tell which way I voted.
No, the Greens have not become the dominant political force in Germany (yet). But solid gains in Berlin and Germany as a whole mean that they will be represented in the next governments at both levels. And as you will see in the next blog post, that is already having an impact. :)
