40

Liebe/r 'Co-Autor/in',

übermorgen ist es genau 10 Monate her, als ich das von Dir mit erstellte Buch 'Rückblick auf 40 Jahre Rainer Knaack' anlässlich meines Geburtstages in den Händen halten durfte.

In jenem Moment war ich einerseits überrascht und erfreut - andererseits in Erinnerungen schwelgend, zutiefst bewegt und vor etlichen Tränen gerührt.

Seit Januar habe ich dieses wundervolle und einzigartige Werk immer wieder an mich genommen und mich darin 'verloren' - Anlass genug, um Dir - und meiner initiierenden und geliebten Kerstin - für Dein spontanes Geschenk, für Deine Bilder und für Deine persönlichen, ermutigenden und prophezeienden Worte zu danken.

Du kannst Dir nicht vorstellen, welch' ein großer Schatz dies für mich darstellt. Es wird gut aufbewahrt sein - in meinem Regal und in meinem Herzen.

Kerstin hat das Ganze sogar noch mit einem frisch entworfenen Familienwappen gekrönt...

Es war und ist mir ein bewusstes Herzensanliegen, Dir das auf diesem Wege mitzuteilen, da ich solche Taten etwas keineswegs als selbstverständlich erachte.

Solltest Du eine Ausgabe im digitalen Format wünschen, so kannst Du mich dies gerne wissen lassen.

Für immer dankbare Grüße in die Wochenmitte schickt Dir

Dein Rainer.

Dear 'Co-author',

the day after tomorrow, it'll be exactly 10 months ago since I have been holding the book called 'In retrospect - 40 years of Rainer Knaack' in my hands which you have been participated to create for my birthday.

In that moment, I had been surprised and joyful - on the other hand, it had created and released several memories, I had been stirred up deeply and touched by many, many tears in my eyes.

Since January, I had grabbed and read this personal, special and unique 'literature' - and been forgetting time when diving into it. This is reason enough to thank you - and my initiative and beloved Kerstin - for your spontaneous present, for your pictures and for your personal, encouraging and prophecying words.

You have got no clue how much of a treasure that book is to me. It'll be kept well - in my shelf and in my heart.

Kerstin even crowned it with an individual coat of arms describing our family...

It was and is a heartfelt matter to let you know this way as I will never take this kind of action for granted.

In case you desire a digital copy, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Forever grateful.

Yours,

Rainer.

Vor 34 Jahren und 25 Tagen... | It was 34 years and 25 days ago...

...ist dieses Bild entstanden, das ich kürzlich von meinem japanischen Freund und Austauschschüler erhalten habe.

Ich bin dankbar für Freundschaften, die ich mit drei meiner damaligen Klassenkameraden bis zum heutigen Tage pflegen darf.

Begeisterte Grüße in den weltverändernden Tag der Reformation (FETTES Hallo an Martin Luther) schickt Euch

Euer Rainer.

Dear readers,

exactly 34 years and 25 days ago, that picture was taken and recently sent to me by a Japanese classmate who used to live in Germany for about a year at that time.

While pondering and reflecting on this, I sense deep joy and gratefulness for three friendships I am privileged to have.

Excited greetings into the day of reformation (BIG shout out to Martin Luther) from

Rainer.

Freundschaft. | Friendship.

Adam Grant is the Wharton Class of 1965 Professor of Management and Psychology, and the bestselling author of 'Give & Take'. This is what he has recently written:

"Recently, someone I’ve never met introduced me in an email as “my good friend Adam.” A few days later, a virtual stranger who has emailed me a few times posted an article by “my friend Adam.” Then a student from a one-day workshop that I taught listed me as a job reference, and when asked to describe our relationship, wrote “professor and friend.” After I endorsed a book, a reporter referred to the author as “a friend of Adam’s,” when our interactions have consisted of a series of work emails and one phone call.

I like all of these people, but I wouldn’t describe any of them as my friends—I think that misrepresents how well we know each other and the kind of the bond between us. In the Facebook era, the boundaries on friendship have expanded dramatically. Someone recently called my brother-in-law a “dear friend” but didn’t bother to attend his wedding. Judging from recent friend requests, my friends apparently include a person who ignored me in grad school, a second cousin’s high school classmate, a colleague’s mentee, a peewee soccer teammate I vaguely remember, and some guy who sat at a table near me at a restaurant once.

If you want to avoid committing the faux pas of describing a colleague or an acquaintance as a friend, here are some rules for when it’s fair game to use the term:

1. You’ve actually met in person

From the caption of a famous New Yorker cartoon: “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” If you’ve only connected by email or phone, even if they are a real person, there’s no substitute for the trust that can be developed from meeting face-to-face.

2. You know embarrassing things about each other that don’t show up in a Google search

Studies consistently show that self-disclosure—opening up and making yourself vulnerable—is one of the strongest drivers of close relationships. My friends know that I have questionable taste in music, and refrain from dissing Bryan Adams. They accept the fact that I read the first Twilight book, cover to cover (my wife made me do it) and the rest of them (that was my doing).

3. You can call each other without scheduling a conversation

Unless the person in question is a head of state, if you have to get an appointment on someone’s calendar to talk, you haven’t cleared the friendship bar.

4. You never discuss the weather

When you ask a friend “How are you doing?” you don’t have to follow up with “No, really, how are you doing?” Friends don’t bother with small talk. They can go months without talking, and pick up as if they’ve never skipped a beat. They dive right into deep conversations about love, life, and that exasperating conclusion of Lost where nothing was resolved.

5. You help each other without keeping score

In professional relationships, I find that most people follow the norm of reciprocity: when we do someone a favor, we expect an equal one back. In friendships, the norm shifts from reciprocity to generosity. We focus on what our friends need, not what we can get back from them. Instead of keeping tallies of credits and debts, friends give whenever they can. As Jack Handey says, “If you wear a toupee, why not let your friends try it on for a while? Come on, we’re not going to hurt it.”

6. You’ve had meaningful experiences together

Men and women alike expect friendships to involve mutual activities and shared memories. If you’ve never gone to a movie or shopping together, played a sport or game together, attended a party together, or decorated someone’s car with shaving cream together, you’re probably not friends.

7. You give the critical feedback that we don’t want to hear, but need to hear

Friendships have what the organizational scholars Jane Dutton and Emily Heaphy call tensility—the carrying capacity to withstand criticism and bounce back from strain. “We wouldn’t want to assume that compassion is always gentle,” George Saunders observes. “A harsh truth can be compassionate… if a friend is wearing something ridiculous, you can say, ‘You look like an idiot,’ and maybe that will save him.”

If you’re reading this post on a social network, you’re probably not my friend. Because if you were my friend, you would know better than to read my content."

Routine & Disziplin. | Routine & Discipline.

Liebe LeserInnen, 

in jede frische Woche starte ich früh morgens joggend durch Wald und Wiesen mit einem sehr guten Freund - unabhängig von der Witterung.
Nach längerer Zeit stellen wir immer wieder fest, dass dies nicht nur unseren gesundheitlichen Zustand und unsere Freundschaft festigt, sondern uns geistig und mental durch die gesamte Woche trägt.

Weshalb?
Schaut die Bilder vom heutigen Montagmorgen an - deshalb.
Hier und da machen sich Routine und Displin eben doch bezahlt...

Ermutigende Grüße in die frische Woche schickt 

Rainer.

Alle Fotos/all photos: Robbie English

Dear readers,

every early Monday morning, a good friend of mine and I start it by running together for celebrating and "kicking into" a fresh week. No matter the weather.
While running through forests and fields, we continuously state that this does not just well to our friendship and health, but also to our mind and spirit as it "carries" throughout the whole week. Tremendously.

Why?
Watch the pictures of today's early morning - that is why.
Sometimes, creating a routine by taking care of discipline pays off...

Encouraging greetings into another fresh week from

Rainer.

Echte Freunde. | Real friends.

Das Schönste, das wir einander schenken können, ist unsere Zeit und Aufmerksamkeit. Nicht nur jetzt während der Weihnachtszeit!

Freunden kann auch mal der Kragen platzen, wenn sie mit Dir reden, aber nur weil ihr Herz für Dich bis zum Halse schlägt. Freunde stört es nicht, bei Dir fernzusehen, auch wenn Du schon längst ins Bett gegangen bist.

Freunde kämpfen für Dich dich nächtelang im Gebet und sagen Dir: “Ich habe neulich an Dich gedacht!” Freunde möchten Deine Welt kennenlernen und entdecken immer neue Erdteile. Freunde erleben Dich mit verklebten Augen, ungewaschenen Haaren und sehen dahinter Deine Einzigartigkeit und Schönheit.
Freunde können es sich leisten, bei einem Witz, den Du erzählst, nach der Pointe zu fragen.

Bei Freunden kannst Du nachts um halb drei klingeln und sie fragen Dich: “Kaffee oder Tee?” Freunde reden manchmal blödes Zeug, weil sie wissen, daß Du keine Goldwaage im Keller hast.
Freunde kennen sich nicht in Deiner Brieftasche aus, dafür aber in Deinem Kühlschrank. Freunde geben Dir im Winter ihr letztesHemd und behaupten, sie wollten sich sowieso gerade sonnen.

Freunde machen es so ähnlich wie Gott:
Sie mögen Dich so wie du bist, trauen Dir aber zu, daß Du Dich verändern kannst.

Quelle: Albrecht Gralle