Photos & Stories

Where: On a Beach at the Elbe River bank in Wedel, a city close to Hamburg. Well, actually a suburb.
When: On a Sunday afternoon in early July.
Who: Two Mothers chatting about their kids (which were not present). They walked by the place where I was sitting, so I could not help listening in…

– … really, I mean your daughter is such a lovely little girl. So sweet.
– Yeah, sweet she is, indeed. But…
– Yeah?
– Well… I don’t know. But in recent times she has started back-talking.
– You kidding?
– Not at all. She is also beginning to use swear words. And…
– What?
– … even tells dirty jokes.
– Oh my god!
– Yeah. I guess now I really have to keep an eye on this…

… and so they continued chatting after they had passed by my place.

(My decent education naturally did not allow any verbal comment from my side to the ladies at this very moment. But inwardly I could not agree more to their upright indignation. In fact, if I were in charge in this country I would strictly prohibit the usage of swear words by minors and the telling of dirty jokes in public places.

Unless, of course, someone knows how to tell them…)