I caught up with a new mingler (sustainability accountant!), she grew up in Berlin and later that day it sparked my recollection of going to Berlin as a young teenager, not long after the fall of the wall. There was such a happiness and optimism about the future. This is mostly missing from what I observe in the world now (except when your football team is winning). I’m unsure what will bring it back, but maybe it starts with connections and mingles.
Yes, I did go to a Berlin night club, not long after the fall of the wall…. And maybe I thought saying I was 16 when I was 14, was such a daring thing.
When I was 14
After the fall
of the Berlin Wall
I found myself
in a Potsdam club
the city sizzled
with the joy of lost
unexpectedly found wounds
healing - that the best times still
ahead ahead ahead - I singing
impossible beats beat
heady on Green Forest cocktails
dancing with an impossibly
ancient 21 year old
Ach so young little one
lets dance lets dance
dance dance dance
….It might not be so clear as to whether the 21 year was commenting on the fizz of a 14 year old asking her to dance… or the young outlook of the world to be so full of hope….
Maybe it went (in night club broken German)
-Want to dance
-How old are you?
-16 (inflated age)
-So young!
-Dance?
-OK, let’s dance.
The current Arts blog, cross-over, the current Investing blog. Cross fertilise, some thoughts on autism. Discover what the last arts/business mingle was all about (sign up for invites to the next event in the list below).
My Op-Ed in the Financial Times (My Financial Times opinion article) about asking long-term questions surrounding sustainability and ESG.
Current highlights:
A thought on how to die well and Mortality
Some writing tips and thoughts from Zadie Smith
How to live a life, well lived. Thoughts from a dying man. On play and playing games.
A provoking read on how to raise a feminist child.
Some popular posts: the commencement address; by NassimTaleb (Black Swan author, risk management philosopher), Neil Gaiman on making wonderful, fabulous, brilliant mistakes; JK Rowling on the benefits of failure. Charlie Munger on always inverting; Sheryl Sandberg on grief, resilience and gratitude.
Buy my play, Yellow Gentlemen, (amazon link) - all profits to charity