I'm oldandmyfatherwasanofficerintheGermanarmyandhewasawaywhen I wasborn, andthatstartsmyfamilyhistory.
But I wanttotellyouaboutwhomytheirparentswere.
Shewantedoutthere.
You'rethat?
Yes, because I wantmyChildrentoknowwhattheheritageisiftherewassuch a thing, isheritageor, uh, backgroundwheretheycomefrom?
A lotofpeoplehereinmyretirementhomespending a lotoftimetryingtodigupwiththeancestors, werethereparticularlykeenonwhatcountrytheycamefrom, whattheydid.
Buttheyonlydothatwhentheygetold.
So I thought, putitdown.
SomyChildrenhaveto I don't havetogothroughiftheyeverwanttoknowiftheydowanttoknow.
Fine.
Iftheydon't wanttoknowit.
Sothewholethingway.
It's justmywayoftellingwheretheycomefrom.
Mymotherwasborninfirst, Burgandherfatherandmotherlivedin a whattheycall a familycompound, whichisoutsideoftone, whichhasthehousesofeachofthefamilymembersthatweregivenbythepatriarch.
Andtherewasandthewomanhad a sonwhohadgonewith a wholebunchofAmericanboysin 18 80 totheUnitedStatesbecausetheywereboredwithlifein a smalltownandtheywantedtobeadventuresome.
Sotheygottogether.
I thinkfourorfive.
I don't knowhowmanyandtheycametoUnitedStatesisandcametoNewYork.
Wewenttodowntowntothemarket, and I lovethemarketplace, freshvegetablesandallthat, andthearchitectureisjustfantastic.
A castleontopofthehill, a castleintown, witharchbishopatthisfantasticcastlewith 200 roomsandtheTiepoloceilingandgardenaroundit.
That's unbelievable.
So I seegotofinallyhereandhavesuch a wonderfulfeelingintimebecauseitalsohas a verynicestatelyhouse.
Butit's just a houseandthisgorgeousgarden.
Itremindsmewhen I was a child, thisbeautifulgardenwithstatuaryandthisgorgeousresidencewherethestairwaygoingup.
Anditjusthad a lotofbeautifularchitectureinandthatRiemenschneideroversee a sculptorinwood, and I stilllikelikethey'rethefigurinesandthingsthataremadeoutofwoodandthatlastmyoldlife.
Andwhen I wasunder 16 yearsold, when I readallthisandnow I think, HowdidtheunderstandHowcome I readallthisstuffand I likedit?
Howcome?
Whatisthereaboutthis?
I realizethatitmademe a socialDemocrat.
I becameverysociallyconsciousthroughthereadingofallthesebooks.
Atthattime, therewas a revolutionintheworld, andofcourse, theRussiansweretheonesthatreallytalkedaboutit.
TheFrenchsolotandsonWe'retalkingaboutthemiseryofthepoorandyouknow, AndthenlagerleftwastalkingabouttheNorthandAnd I know I readitallasbefore 16 becauseit's allinGerman.
Butmyinterestinbookshasneverwent.
I'vebeenreadingallmylifeIt's all I doisspent.
Really?
Whether I understanditall I don't know.
I thinksomeofitrubsoffandsoisthatjustcompletelyforget.
But I wonderhow I didlearnthatwhen I wasyoungAndwhywasityourmotherdidn't wantyou?
Becausesheknew I'd gonereadhimpsychologically.
Oh, shedidonpurpose.
Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
I read a thelessit's wantorLatifbyBalzac, whichis a pornographicbook.
Myhusbandwouldhavebeen a totallydifferentpersonifhehadbeenhereas a professoratBerkeley, whichhewasgoingtobeinstead, morethrewhimintoEuropeintomostincrediblesituations.
What I dowiththat?
Nothing.
Anyway.
So I thinkthatthoseeventswarifyoudon't dieandyoudon't haveanykindofinjuryandyou'renotdestinedtowillinsomewayteachyoulotsofthingsthatyoucouldOh!
Thesearethethingsthat I find, butthishasnothingtodowithtellingmyChildrenabovetheirbreakfront.
I'm sosorry.
It's goingtoknowit's allpartaboutthingsthatyoufeelabouttheworld, socialviews, partaboutwhoyouareandthethingsthatyoufeel a thing.
Well, I don't know.
I don't knowwhat's important.
I know I have a lotofgrievanceshere.
I justthinkit's a shame, butit's allovertheworldnow.
Itisn't justhere.
I usedtothinkof a certainGermansocialserviceisbeingsowonderfulbecausetheywereUS.
Healthinsuranceisperfect.
Yougoanywhereyouknowdidn't cost a thing.
Oureducationwasnotfree.
Um, I thinkthiscertainfishalongifyouthereis a passageyouhadtopass a testandmyparentssaidWhen I was 10 yearsold, I hadtogofromparticleelementaryschoolandtake a test.
Andsincebeing a badteethbadpupilandnotpayingmuchattention, I was a littleworriedaboutthattest.
Canyoumeasurethe 10 yearoldgoingintheretaking a test, sayit's intheworld.
Thisiscrazy, youknow?
Oh, incredible.
Thatevenpassitunsurprised.
I didpassit.
Sowegotoeprivateschool, butthekidsordon't it's not a notbadtheygoto, butbecausewhethercalledno, notpublicschool.
Buttheygettrained.
Yeah, theygettrainedindifferentways.
Well, intheStates.
I doitwhenyougotohighschool, youeithergotouniversityortheotherbusiness.
Theyalwaysseparatethatlittlebit.
I don't knowhowitistoday.
Thatwaswhen I camehere.
Butanyway, I think I'm a month's leavewithyouthat I havesuchgreatChildrenandsuchwonderfulgrandchildrenAndthisadorablelittleChildren, mygreatgrandchildren, whoarenowinnonedaythatbythankyouthearedroughtinstinct.
HestudiedNo, that's different, Didn't get a degree, couldn't couldn't makefindanythingtodo, ismake a livingbecauseshewassowelleducatedandhadsomanydifferentthings.
Andnothingtell, Shebecamehad a bookstore.
Soshewasgoodthatbooks.
Butwhataretheypreparingfor?
I don't know.
Theworldisgonnabesodifferent.
Whatkindofeducationwilltheyhavetohave?
Let's let's talk a littlebitmoreaboutYes.
SoBonniehad a bookstore.
Butlet's talkaboutwhatshehowshefellintohavingthebookstoreafterbeingkindoftheworldtraveler, thathesaidshethatwholeperiod, verycreativecouldn't reallyfind a placetolandbadly.
Well, allright, soweweremyhusbandwasn't Aspen.
TheAspenInstituteispresidentandmydaughterwasthere, andshestartedtoworkin a bookstorethere.
Butshewas a hippie, andherfuturehusbandwas a hippywithherinthebookstore.
Sotheygotmarriedandthetwohippiesscary, marriedwithoutknowinghowtomake a living.
Theyhadbighousesandtheycouldtalkaboutthosebighousesintheirbigpoolsandtheircountryclubandallthisand I thinktomyselffindsotheyhad a youknow, it's theirlife.
Buttome, whatdidtheydowithallthateducation?
A lotof I mean, I'm noteverybody.
Please, Therearefabulouspeoplehere.
Peoplearestillactive, Peoplearestillworking.
I'm nottalkingabouttalkingabout a lotofpeoplewhogotouniversityandthenbecomefantasticmothersanddonothingelse.
I don't thinkthat's a life.
Well, I don't know.
I didn't doanythingelse.
I didn't work.
Allright?
I livedformyhusband, maybesomeofthemthroughtheirhusbands.
Don't doanythingWell, I thinkthatyoucertainlyimpartedMaurlessonsatmoreinformationNow, justthroughstoriesthataretoldinlifethatyou'velivedinexamplesthatsaid, itcertainlyhasveryapparenttomeinourconversationsthatthatwell, that's verykindofyoutosayitwouldbenicetobelieveit.
No, benicetosaythat I'vebeenhereforsomethingbecausewe'renotreallyhereforverymuchexceptforcreation.
Andbut, well, I fromthestoriesthatyoutoldthat I'veseen, hecertainlycreatedwell, I createdwonderfulChildrenandgrandchildren.
It's all I couldsayandthat's theolddoing.
I didn't doanything, I think.
I thinktheinfluencesWell, I wouldliketothinkthat, butand I don't takeit.
No, I'm gladifitdid.
I'm pleasedthatsay, I washereforsomethingand I thinkthat's whatwe'rehereforistoseethenextgenerationgoonbutnuts, mother, butandlethimbegood, honestpeople.
Onething I didlearnfromallmyexperiencesthat a good, wonderfulpeople, everynationalityineverynationality, and I hatetoseewhatwe'redoing.