Pitztal

 After our pit stop in Ehrenberg (see previous post), we continued on to stay in Pitztal (the Pitz valley). Staying at the head of the valley, we spent the night and then headed out early the next day to enjoy the outdoors. We took a cable car up to the Rifflsee and enjoyed a panoramic hike, Alpine lunch, and (finally) the longest rodelbahn in the Alps (more on that tomorrow). It was a great day.

Ehrenberg

 With access to a computer again, I can finally blog about our final European adventure: a weekend trip to Austria. We stopped on the way down at Ehrenberg, an impressive hilltop ruin.

We visited Ehrenberg before (captured here), on our last trip in Germany in 2011. Ten years makes a difference; though the ruin itself is largely the same (though under renovation), there is now a funicular to take you to the top (previously only accessible via a long hike) and a cable bridge across the valley. We did both, though we chickened out 1/3 of the way across the cable bridge, as the wind picked up and I didn't like how much it was swaying. I now regret this . . . but that aside, we loved the ruin and countryside. It's well worth a stop if you're in the area.

Return of the Strong Gods (R.R. Reno)

In Return of the Strong Gods, R.R. Reno analyzes the trend of thought in the 'long twentieth century' (which continues to present day), focusing on the postwar consensus and arguing that the open society it espouses will do more harm than good. 

A summary of Reno's arguments: after World War II, the world wanted to do what it could to prevent the return of totalitarianism. Various cultural leaders (philosophers, sociologists, etc.) argued that "solidarity and our drive toward transcendence" were fundamental threats; instead, we must have an "open society" where (basically) many things are accepted but weakly held. Truth is abandoned- the 'strong gods' that drive people to higher ideals and encourage them to impose their beliefs on others must be removed, replaced by 'weak gods' of multiculturalism and other things. In other words, people shouldn't believe their way is correct or superior. They shouldn't overly value their past or heritage. "Love enflames ambitions, some of which impel us toward evil ends. Love inspires sacrifices, some of which are misguided and self-destructive. At their worst, perverse loves can beckon us to sacrifice others." Therefore, collective loyalties are bad; instead, we must deconstruct, weaken, criticize, disenchant. Only then can we "escape the bloody cycles of self-destruction" as "we stifle the all-too-human impulse to consolidate around shared loyalties." The goal is peace at all costs. This is called the postwar consensus, and it has reigned supreme for decades.

While acknowledging that "men [can] do horrible things in the service of strong gods," Reno argues that they are necessary- that the postwar consensus had understandable intentions but missed the mark. "To be human is to seek trascendent warrants and sacred sources for our social existence." Strong gods "are whatever has the power to inspire love- love of the divine, love of truth, love of country, love of family . . . the strong gods of public life are quite simply the objects of our shared loves. They are whatever arouses in us an ardor to wed our destinies to that which we love." And so the problem is that the postwar consensus "works against the return of the strong gods, which means it works against love and solidarity. This loveless consensus is sparking populist revolts," which explains Trump's election in 2016 and similar events in some countries in Europe.

So what is the way forward? Reno claims that "False loves can be remedied only by true ones. A humane future in the West will require nurtuing noble loves." So we need strong gods- but the right ones. "We need to learn to speak again of the loves we share," and to look 'up' and disenchant "the half-truths of conventional wisdom so that a fuller truth can shine forth." "The best safeguards against the dangers of lover's perversion are the loves that ennoble and give us rest." 

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This was a good read. I agree with some of Reno's arguments, which do a good job explaining our current society and how we got to this point. We all have gods; we all have truths that drive our lives. We all rally around something. Nobody truly is open to everything; we all draw the line somewhere. My prayer is that we rally around the right things.

While good, the book was repetitive and focused on explaining the current mentality; I wish he would have spent more time on proposed solutions (which are brief and only at the very end). 

Rating: A-

America: the First Week

We've been back in America for a week; our time in Europe is over. I find it helpful to reflect upon our experience in transition. I did this last time back in 2014. Here are my observations this time around:

• Change is always hard. We anticipate a faster acclimation this time around, as we were away for only 2.5 years (vs. 7 last time). We hope to attend our old church, live in or near our old neighborhood, and reunite with our old friends. But even if all these things happen- even if we're immediately immersed in the familiar- there's no escaping the difficulty of change. I spent the first week experiencing bouts of sadness, mourning the loss of familiar and beloved routines and friends, even though we're excited to be back. 
• People need a place to call home. Right now, we feel like we don't belong anywhere. Our time in Germany is done; we don't belong there anymore. But we don't feel like we belong here in America, yet, either. I think it's all about having a home. 
• Communication and mobility are key. Arriving without US phones or a vehicle makes change that much harder. Getting those things squared away secure a degree of freedom that's so important.
• Getting into new routines is also important. Especially working out. 
• It's funny to see what I've forgotten about American culture. Like adding tax at the register (vs. working it into the displayed price)- the oddest things catch me off-guard.
• It's nice to be surrounded by English-speakers again. I loved studying German, but ordering food or having doctor visits without the potentially awkward/confusing interactions is most welcome.
• The kids adjust faster than the adults.
• I'll miss Germany. More so this time than last.
• I'm happy to be back. Now we just need to find a house.

Shazam!

The second of two movies watched on our flight, Shazam! is the story of Billy Batson, the 14-year-old orphan who jumps from foster home to foster home, always searching for his mother. Out of the blue, he's pulled into an ancient battle . . . a wizard chooses him to be his new champion, granting him impressive abilities and instant transformation to (and from) an adult body with just one word. But his mind remains that of a 14-year-old in either state, so hilarity ensues as he tries his new powers and figures out what to do next. But time is running out . . . Dr. Sivana is after Billy's powers, and he enlists the aid of the seven deadly sins (personified in demonic form) to do so. How can Billy possibly overcome?

This movie was a mixed bag for me. It's primarily a comedy, and does well there. But there are hints of other elements:

- poignant pain in Billy's quest for his mother

- deep darkness in the demons (the bad scenes are short but freaky)

- theological thoughts, as the wizard tries (and fails) to find someone worthy to be champion, so he (apparently) chooses Billy randomly, with no explanation given

I enjoyed the film overall- more than I expected. The comedy and pain were done well, and 'mixed' to good effect. I would have liked to see more exploration on the theological front, a touch less darkness [debating whether to show the kids]. But overall, I count this a winner.

Rating: B+

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

On the plane ride back to America yesterday, I watched two full movies. First up: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, the movie adaptation of the book I read last year. The movie was in German but the English subtitles were easy enough to follow.

The movie follows the book rather closely, following Anna and her family as they leave Germany in 1933 as the Nazis come to power. They flee to Switzerland, then France, and finally the UK as her father looks for work (he's a Jewish writer with strong anti-Nazi sentiments). 

I much prefer the book. The movie was a straightforward and faithful account, but largely lacked suspense or drama. In short, it just wasn't very compelling. I liked it okay, but felt it could have been better.

Rating: B-

Midterm Report

image from here

The days are slow, but the years fly by.  We're halfway through 2021.  Each year, I set and present my goals for the year in January.  Today I look at how I'm doing.

Anyway, here are the goals and how it's going.

Spiritual
- Be disciplined in prayer/scripture routines (and start tracking them to encourage it)
- Teach the family

I started tracking prayer times and the chapter(s) I read of the Bible each day; that has encouraged me to make it more consistent and quality. And I'm teaching the family a little more. Room for improvement, but encouraging.

Nutritional/Fitness
- Keep weight under 185 lbs (goal: 180)
- Get a six-pack
- Complete 240 workouts (run, bike, gym)
- Be able to do 60 push-ups in a set and 15 pull-ups

On track, though my weight has held steady at 4 lbs higher than I'd like. I'll focus on this when we move home in a few days. The workouts so far: 

25 bike rides, 335 miles

65 gym workouts

33 runs, 63 miles

4811 pushups

1855 pullups

3274 dips

64 ab workouts

Financial
- Get good budgeting system in place

Work in progress. We've talked to a few people, have some ideas, and have future meetings planned to work this out.

Reading
- Read 50 books
- Complete my German Reading List

I completed my GRL last month, and really enjoyed it. On track to exceed 50 books.

Travel
- Visit the Alps
- Take the kids to new countries (Belgium, Liechtenstein, Italy, etc.)

We got one last trip to the Alps in this past weekend (to Austria; pictures once we get our PC back). We didn't travel as much as we would have liked here, but pandemics limit things. In the end, we got the kids to Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, and many places in Germany. Not too bad.

Fluency
- Obtain a certification in German

Work in progress- I plan to test when we get home.

Games
- Minimize game collection to what I play regularly

Didn't happen- game collection is going the wrong direction :-). But I'll pare it down.

Adjust
- We move back to America this year, so finding a house, job, school, etc. will be priorities as we approach the summer

We're in our final days in Germany, so this one is hitting us hard now. The summer will be one of transition.

Overall

The year is going okay. Need more discipline in some areas, but progress is there.

Grade: B