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Ana Mettler
Born in postwar Germany – what a trip. Lots to learn from what happened in Germany, I hope we stay alert to the lessons. Last summer I went back to Germany and visited the History Museum in Bonn. I cried when I saw video clips of thousands of people displaced, kids lost on railroad stations, no name, no kin, streams of fugitives from east to west, a whole country in ruins, not to mention the millions of lives lost and the horrible legacy to live with. Joanna Macy, a Buddhist nun, suggests to think about your own life, when and where you were born, as a choice you made. So, if I made the choice to be born in post war Germany, one of my first lessons would be: pay attention to what’s going on in your country. Second lesson: be involved, be active. Third lesson: remember that all human beings, and for that matter, all beings are equal in importance.
Childhood?
I grew up near Bonn. Always close to the Rhine throwing pebbles into it just like Beethoven.
There were lots of wild open spaces, secret gardens to roam around. My favorite place was an old gingko tree.
Music?
To me music is the universal language of the soul. We can communicate with each other unspoken by just listening together or by playing together. Music is like a fragrance. Levels of ability, “knowledge” doesn’t matter. In music we all are equals.
If you’re not playing music what might you be doing?
Sipping mochas (I wish), mostly teaching at my great school that values the individual and learning as a process, reading ravenously (the books on top of my stack are: John Briggs, Seven Life Lessons of Chaos; Joanna Macy, Coming Back to Life; Heinrich Harrer, Seven Years in Tibet; Oscar Wilde, The Star-Child), despairing about the lack of time, doing yoga sporadically, trying to help create a Camphill community in Colorado (if you want to find out about Camphill: www.camphill.org) and last, but not least trying to apply my life lessons: paying attention to what’s going on in this country and being involved.
Family?
3 great kids
Favorite quote:
Dalai Lama: “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."