You’re privileged because you can read. Because you have a Swiss passport and also because you get this mail, because only people interested in culture get this. Usually only people who do not have to work themselves to death can deal with culture. Or have parents who have taken care of them and who can now enjoy a good study or just do what they want. You don’t really want to believe that you are very lucky. But you should, because this is your luck! You can enjoy your luck. You can also let others have a part in it. You can do whatever you want with it. You have your ancestors to thank for that. So do I. We don’t just lose it like that. You can accuse me of childish naivete now. The more knowledge and experience you gain in life, the clearer it becomes that you shouldn’t be afraid of other people. Because that’s exactly what no one wants. No living thing. Nothing wants fear. If you are made to believe that you should be afraid, it is because you are to be, want to be or will be decided upon. But you have your space. Or your leeway. No one there is better than you. Because nobody knows your space better than you. So there’s no reason to be afraid.

But actually, I want to share an observation with you:

You now have a chance to understand and empathize. When you walk on the street, people see you mostly way ahead of you, especially the older ones. They look at you as you walk. If you don’t change sides, they do. Others hold their breath when they walk past you. Try to give them a smile. That hardly works. You’ll only try it three times, tops. Then you give up. Or you will become ignorant and think about your work or your plan and that the Corona crisis will soon be over and nobody is afraid that you might have the virus and might pass it on.

Your chance: Imagine you are homeless. Your clothes are not the newest and you can’t wash them often. You also have to take methadone because as a young person you unfortunately, without knowing it, ended up in those circles, because your parents did not prepare or warn you, because they had to work daily at the cash desk in Migros to pay for your apartment and your future. Can you imagine that? Walking in the street like that. Now everyone sees you way ahead and watches you closely from afar. If you don’t walk on the other side of the street, they change sides. People hold their breath when they walk past you. They try very hard not to look at you. You can smile as you like. Nobody smiles back.

Another chance: Imagine you have just arrived in Switzerland. Because you come from another place where there’s a war going on, you look tired and don’t have much money to dress up properly, even though you know that clothes make people. Your skin colour is also a bit darker than most people’s in Switzerland. When you walk in the street, most people see you, especially the old ones. Most of the time they change sides and because your diet is different from here, many people hold their breath when they walk past you. Whether it is an epidemic or a pandemic or another fear.

Other chances: Imagine that you are different from what you are. In a wheelchair. Heavily overweight or too thin. One side of your face would be paralyzed or you’d just suddenly be standing in a different scene than yours, that’s all enough to be treated like described.

The way people treat each other now, they always treat others. Don’t you think so? Then let’s start again from the beginning. You’re antisocial because you’re privileged and you’ve had few problems of this kind. Start all over again. You won’t, because you want to stay in your circle. But trust me. Sooner or later you will have this experience and you will be ashamed not to have understood this earlier. Or you already know all these experiences and feel strengthened and confirmed by me. That is nice. Because I think that is exactly what we should do. Strengthen, confirm and love each other.