We come to this world, don't ask me where from, and we leave it after dancing on it for a while, don't ask me where to. But some of us are otherworldly all through. I had the fortune to get to know one of them: Charlotte Zutrauen, who passed away this spring after more than a century on the planet.
The essay has been moved to my personal website:
Sometimes we meet people who leaves a great impression in our life and turn it in another direction. Don't get bored! just remember Charlotte and look for others like her, there is so much in this world and don't forget the Aikido there is still a lot you can discover and do with it, only think about how we can help with that art O'Sensei left us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for an interesting post, although I don't share the boredom:)
Aikido is one of the few things I keep on doing - not that I escape fighting boredom also there, occasionally. It's an art. That's why it continues to intrigue.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading After dark by Haruki Murakami and one phrase Mari, one of the characters said reminded me you and Charlotte: she met a chinese girl under bad circumstances, translating for her and explaining the case to the other character she said that this girl became part of her, knowing that they will never meet again. So maybe in a sense Charlotte became part of you, just a thought.
ReplyDeleteBoredom is rough. It makes it hard to stick with anything. I've decided that when I'm bored it's an opportunity to try something new. Will I continue with it? Probably not. But I will enjoy my time doing it, and life should be enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteIrreverance, something new is always exciting, at least for a while. I've found that what prolongs the experience is how much it gets me curious. Maybe they are the ultimate opposites: curiosity and boredom.
ReplyDeleteDear Stefan,
ReplyDeleteCharlotte left another incredible influence in her wake, showing us that we never leave this earth, but leave strands for the future folks to weave in. I picked up one of her strands.
In late 2011, I was looking for a house. A listing came up in the street of one of my best friends. The street was narrow with steep fall-offs on the side. If it had not been for my friend, I probably would have been a little too scared to even look at that location, but I went. As I was leaving the house, the flap of the mailbox opened, and I looked in. I saw a name on a random ad letter: "Charlotte Zutrauen". Since I am German, I knew immediately what it meant: "Confidence", "Trust yourself" - and I did: I ended up buying the house from her trust.
She was born in the same year as my grandmother who I was very close to. Two incredible women. I wished I had met CZ. Thank you for your blog.
Anonymous, many thanks for that wonderful little anecdote from life. I am not surprised that Charlotte continues to do her magic. And I remember the house high up on Hollywood Hills, also the scary road leading there. Very symbolic, that too. Facing one's fear, one is generously rewarded.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll have a marvelous adventure unfolding from that location, but you know it already.