I've just interviewed Mr Uwe Brackmann, the CEO of a large German company, for an article I'm doing for the Czech Republic magazine, Trade and Industry, and I'm feeling so light and happy! I didn't expect that a German industrialist would add happiness to my life but he did.
The company makes huuuuuuuuuge industrial buildings, schools, car-parks and factories - it employs around 2,400 people and its profits are over €1 million a year. Uwe (pronounced like the vacuum cleaner without the H - oover - he said) is in his late 50's and exudes a childlike enthusiasm for what he's doing … something he's been doing for a long time. The company was started in 1969 and the founder retired 4 years ago - he has no company jet, villa in the south of France or other expensive hobbies … he's passionate about building machines that cut, bend and shape steel and so his hobby is his business … like Uwe, he's always been doing what he loves doing. Out of that passion, he has attracted Uwe and a massive team of equally passionate people. And, out of that bouncing happiness has come the bouncing prosperity that he and his company have enjoyed.
It's so good being around happily successful people and I can just feel his bouncing joy all over me … tee hee hee!
So, is Arthur feeling the joy, or just confusion? His story continues from the previous blog ...
Emily protested that it was all too much for Joan and Arthur and they didn't even know her and she didn't want to trouble them and they had enough with everything else that had happened to them and, well, her father would probably turn up soon anyway and and and ... However, Joan quietly and insistently got a resistant Emily to sit down, have a cup of tea and a piece of lardy cake while Arthur, under instructions, was fetching cordial and toys for Chloe.
"Now, Emily, please," said Joan, sitting next to Emily on the couch.
"You're right - we've had a little drama here, lately with Arthur, Martin and we just buried my mother yesterday. Yes, it's a lot, Emily."
"It's too much, I would say!" said Emily, looking tearful.
"Yes, we might look back and say that," said Joan, smiling. "But while we're in the middle of it, we just go day by day, hour by hour."
"But I'm imposing ..."
"Emily, you're not, I promise!" said Joan with her hand firmly on Emily's knee. "You're actually doing us a favour."
"A favour?"
"Yes, a favour, isn't she Arthur?" said Joan.
"Ah, yes, a favour ..." said Arthur, looking up from helping Chloe get the Lego set out of the box. He couldn't hide his perplexed expression.
"You're giving us something to take our minds off our situation," said Joan. "You see, we can't do anything about my mother or Martin or Arthur. We could feel hopeless with all that. But, with your father, there's probably something we can do. It'll help us feel helpful again."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of it like that!" said Emily, brightening visibly.
"And, besides, I do love a project, don't I Arthur love?" said Joan, smiling.
"Oh yes, she does love a project," said Arthur, chuckling while he tried to fit wheels onto a Lego block for Chloe.
"So, my friends, a battle plan!" said Joan, clapping her hands with glee. "What do we know?"
"Well, we don't know much at all," said Emily, uncertainly.
"Mmm, we probably know more than we think," said Joan. "Now, what were his hobbies? What did he do outside work?"
"Oh, I'm not sure," said Emily. "His work was a big part of his life. He usually took it home every night. And he visited us often. I know he liked folk music."
"Folk music?" asked exclaimed Arthur, incredulously, trying to imagine Sam Lord in his Versace suit, Gucci shoes and immaculate fingernails mixing in with bearded hippies. "Folk music?" I would never have imagined it!" Seeing that Chloe was fully engrossed in her toys, he got up and took a seat, all ears on the adult conversation now.
"So, where did he go for his folk music, Emily?" asked Joan.
"Oh, I don't really know," said Emily, frowning. "He did mention different clubs, sometimes ... usually in Camden, I think."
"So, folk clubs in Camden - how do we find people there?" asked Joan. Silence. No one knew. "OK, so we put that question on the list for God, for The Universe. The answer will come."
"Joan, dear, what's this about God ... The Universe?" asked Arthur, perplexed again.
"Oh dear, I have a confession," said Joan, smiling at Arthur. "I haven't told you I have been studying A Course in Miracles."
"Miracles?" asked Arthur, immediately regretting his first question, knowing this was headed somewhere he didn't know ... somewhere he didn't want to know.
"A Course in Miracles," said Joan, patiently. "It's a book to help you change your life, for the better. I read it each day when you're at work and we have a fortnightly group meeting - five of us."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" asked Arthur, feeling a panic rising.
"Because I thought you'd be uncomfortable with it," said Joan. "I just thought you'd find out when you were ready and, well, you must be now. You've just found out!" She smiled at Arthur and patted his knee. "I haven't turned into a werewolf, have I?"
"No, no you haven't at all," said Arthur softly. "Actually, dear, you seem different, softer, happier than you used to be. Not so, ah, brittle."
"Well you can blame the book for that. It's actually brilliant and I'd really have liked you to read it with me but I didn't know how you'd be with it," said Joan.
"Ah, Joan, this book mentions God. Is it Christian? asked Emily. "I've had some bad experiences with the church ... one of the main reasons I'm separated."
"Oh dear! I'm sorry about that," said Joan. "But no, it's not Christian. In fact, many Christians would be challenged by it and many follow it." Joan laughed.
"But it mentions God ..." said Arthur, rubbing his temples.
"Yes it does love," said Joan. "It tells us that any decision that we need to make, if we hand it over to God and listen to the Voice for God, that still, quiet voice inside, the perfect answer will arise."
"That sounds like Christianity!" said Emily with a forced smile.
"It sounds like every religion that has ever been!" said Joan. "And, for me, I don't care what religion it is, it works for me. It's very practical. It's how I dealt with Mum's death, with your redundancy, with Martin's breakup and it's how I'm dealing with this. I know it works."
"Oh dear," said Arthur, smiling at his wife. "Just when I think I'm beginning to know you, you pull another rabbit out of the hat!"
"Poof!" said Joan laughing and slapping Arthur's knee playfully.
"So, I know nothing about this miracle book ..." said Arthur.
"A Course in Miracles," corrected Joan.
"Sorry, A Course in Miracles book," said Arthur. "I know nothing about it bit it's caused a small miracle in you, my love, if you don't mind me saying so. So let's try it here. What do you think, Emily?"
The company makes huuuuuuuuuge industrial buildings, schools, car-parks and factories - it employs around 2,400 people and its profits are over €1 million a year. Uwe (pronounced like the vacuum cleaner without the H - oover - he said) is in his late 50's and exudes a childlike enthusiasm for what he's doing … something he's been doing for a long time. The company was started in 1969 and the founder retired 4 years ago - he has no company jet, villa in the south of France or other expensive hobbies … he's passionate about building machines that cut, bend and shape steel and so his hobby is his business … like Uwe, he's always been doing what he loves doing. Out of that passion, he has attracted Uwe and a massive team of equally passionate people. And, out of that bouncing happiness has come the bouncing prosperity that he and his company have enjoyed.
It's so good being around happily successful people and I can just feel his bouncing joy all over me … tee hee hee!
So, is Arthur feeling the joy, or just confusion? His story continues from the previous blog ...
Emily protested that it was all too much for Joan and Arthur and they didn't even know her and she didn't want to trouble them and they had enough with everything else that had happened to them and, well, her father would probably turn up soon anyway and and and ... However, Joan quietly and insistently got a resistant Emily to sit down, have a cup of tea and a piece of lardy cake while Arthur, under instructions, was fetching cordial and toys for Chloe.
"Now, Emily, please," said Joan, sitting next to Emily on the couch.
"You're right - we've had a little drama here, lately with Arthur, Martin and we just buried my mother yesterday. Yes, it's a lot, Emily."
"It's too much, I would say!" said Emily, looking tearful.
"Yes, we might look back and say that," said Joan, smiling. "But while we're in the middle of it, we just go day by day, hour by hour."
"But I'm imposing ..."
"Emily, you're not, I promise!" said Joan with her hand firmly on Emily's knee. "You're actually doing us a favour."
"A favour?"
"Yes, a favour, isn't she Arthur?" said Joan.
"Ah, yes, a favour ..." said Arthur, looking up from helping Chloe get the Lego set out of the box. He couldn't hide his perplexed expression.
"You're giving us something to take our minds off our situation," said Joan. "You see, we can't do anything about my mother or Martin or Arthur. We could feel hopeless with all that. But, with your father, there's probably something we can do. It'll help us feel helpful again."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of it like that!" said Emily, brightening visibly.
"And, besides, I do love a project, don't I Arthur love?" said Joan, smiling.
"Oh yes, she does love a project," said Arthur, chuckling while he tried to fit wheels onto a Lego block for Chloe.
"So, my friends, a battle plan!" said Joan, clapping her hands with glee. "What do we know?"
"Well, we don't know much at all," said Emily, uncertainly.
"Mmm, we probably know more than we think," said Joan. "Now, what were his hobbies? What did he do outside work?"
"Oh, I'm not sure," said Emily. "His work was a big part of his life. He usually took it home every night. And he visited us often. I know he liked folk music."
"Folk music?" asked exclaimed Arthur, incredulously, trying to imagine Sam Lord in his Versace suit, Gucci shoes and immaculate fingernails mixing in with bearded hippies. "Folk music?" I would never have imagined it!" Seeing that Chloe was fully engrossed in her toys, he got up and took a seat, all ears on the adult conversation now.
"So, where did he go for his folk music, Emily?" asked Joan.
"Oh, I don't really know," said Emily, frowning. "He did mention different clubs, sometimes ... usually in Camden, I think."
"So, folk clubs in Camden - how do we find people there?" asked Joan. Silence. No one knew. "OK, so we put that question on the list for God, for The Universe. The answer will come."
"Joan, dear, what's this about God ... The Universe?" asked Arthur, perplexed again.
"Oh dear, I have a confession," said Joan, smiling at Arthur. "I haven't told you I have been studying A Course in Miracles."
"Miracles?" asked Arthur, immediately regretting his first question, knowing this was headed somewhere he didn't know ... somewhere he didn't want to know.
"A Course in Miracles," said Joan, patiently. "It's a book to help you change your life, for the better. I read it each day when you're at work and we have a fortnightly group meeting - five of us."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" asked Arthur, feeling a panic rising.
"Because I thought you'd be uncomfortable with it," said Joan. "I just thought you'd find out when you were ready and, well, you must be now. You've just found out!" She smiled at Arthur and patted his knee. "I haven't turned into a werewolf, have I?"
"No, no you haven't at all," said Arthur softly. "Actually, dear, you seem different, softer, happier than you used to be. Not so, ah, brittle."
"Well you can blame the book for that. It's actually brilliant and I'd really have liked you to read it with me but I didn't know how you'd be with it," said Joan.
"Ah, Joan, this book mentions God. Is it Christian? asked Emily. "I've had some bad experiences with the church ... one of the main reasons I'm separated."
"Oh dear! I'm sorry about that," said Joan. "But no, it's not Christian. In fact, many Christians would be challenged by it and many follow it." Joan laughed.
"But it mentions God ..." said Arthur, rubbing his temples.
"Yes it does love," said Joan. "It tells us that any decision that we need to make, if we hand it over to God and listen to the Voice for God, that still, quiet voice inside, the perfect answer will arise."
"That sounds like Christianity!" said Emily with a forced smile.
"It sounds like every religion that has ever been!" said Joan. "And, for me, I don't care what religion it is, it works for me. It's very practical. It's how I dealt with Mum's death, with your redundancy, with Martin's breakup and it's how I'm dealing with this. I know it works."
"Oh dear," said Arthur, smiling at his wife. "Just when I think I'm beginning to know you, you pull another rabbit out of the hat!"
"Poof!" said Joan laughing and slapping Arthur's knee playfully.
"So, I know nothing about this miracle book ..." said Arthur.
"A Course in Miracles," corrected Joan.
"Sorry, A Course in Miracles book," said Arthur. "I know nothing about it bit it's caused a small miracle in you, my love, if you don't mind me saying so. So let's try it here. What do you think, Emily?"
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