Scenes from the Street
Gneisenaustraße, Berlin — April 4, 2022
Gneisenaustraße, Berlin — April 4, 2022
An older man jogging
Down the sidewalk
In shorts and red cap
From the opposite direction
A cyclist
Eyes meet for a millisecond
In one rough gesture
Without slowing a step
The man points to the side:
The bike path
A simple motion
Carrying the message
You are in the wrong
(and naturally I, in the right)
It is so obvious that
To do otherwise
Can only mean
You are an idiot
Get out of my way
You are but an obstacle
A nuisance
To my orderly life
The moment passes
An entire story
In a fraction of a second
An entire exchange
Between two beings
Living in the same world
Berliners will not hesitate to point out each other’s mistakes, berating and correcting strangers on the street in the millisecond of interaction they share with each other.
They will shout at you for crossing on red in front of children to show their righteous obedience of the mighty Rule. But no one will correct them for teaching their children to treat those with whom they share a reality with contempt.
To them, the best use of this once-in-a-lifetime exchange is not meant for meeting each other in softness and kindness as human beings, but to reinforce a shared understanding of what is acceptable and right, and what is despicable and stupid.