Intertwining of Worlds

The MEETING OF WORLDS conference on the third weekend of September once again filled the hall to the ceiling
in the House of Czech Switzerland in Krásnolip. I know, it's an event, which takes place only once a year, in addition, it happens
hopelessly sold out long in advance - so what about in the Scapular... Only if she is just this
conference so significant for the region of the Czech Netherlands, not to mention her, would mean not to understand, how
that's how it goes here. That there is unique nature in the region from Dolní Poustevna to Varnsdorf, about it in the Scapular
I write from the beginning. But above all, they are unique and remarkable people here, very active and inventive
communities. Groups of people, who do not resign themselves to the meaning of life, who long ago got used to not waiting, what for
he will do them elsewhere (and not in Prague at all), but they create meeting platforms themselves, and they still fill them
topics, which are essential for life. And by the way - this conference is necessary for that as well, so that
at least they got a glimpse into the rich inner life of the family, which offers you much more at Bohemian Cottage
than just accommodation in an unusual boarding house. And so I invite you - at least indirectly - to visit the worlds,
which have already intermingled for the tenth time.

This time there was a happy accident at the very beginning. Irena Kubicová, originator of the whole idea and
annual dramaturg and organizer, she suddenly had one more lecturer, than how many do
could fit in on Saturday. Who ever put something this big together, he knows well, that he must have
always reserve, if someone couldn't. Hm - and then suddenly, as if by default, everyone can. And so on
The blending of worlds blended into another day. And on Friday evening, it was clear after a few minutes, that it
was seriously a lottery win.

Tomáš Feřtek was amazing. He has been active in the field of education for many years and sees it not from behind the department, but from a significant perspective. It was him, who some time ago came up with the script for the remarkable original series The Defenders about the school ombudsman, which really stirred up the level of the pedagogic industry. Tomáš explained simply, in what ways are today's children the same and in what ways are they different from you, who went to school under the monarchy, respectively than us, when we were little, and then opened up a whole range of new trends in Czech education. It started with a few lone torches, but today fires are already burning in quite a few places. Quite often, somewhat in spite of parents, who sometimes loudly preach progress, but they live in a cage of retro education, of which they are themselves products.

So maybe the time is not so far away again, when will we stop being victims of the industrial revolution and be no more
to produce educated people as if on a conveyor belt and measure them during exit inspections, what a success
cram them all into one pile, but we will adopt the agricultural principle and start growing them
knowing, that each plant needs a different kind of care and each can reward itself with a different flower
or fruits. Tomáš Feřtek extremely cultured, with perfect control of his overrich vocabulary,
reopened topics, which we will have to solve whether we like it or not. And I hope so, that we rather want.

The next day, the hall of the House of Czech Switzerland began to fill up and filled up and filled up, until every chair was occupied.
Friday's prelude resonated for the first time with the motif of the circle. The school year is such a circle, around, which
year, every year turns, but in it, like squirrels in a drum, there are different children each time. Friday night was about that,
how to let children out of the hamster wheel and let them into the circle of unique beings of different ages, which they deserve
respect and not a cane, trust, and not a priori contempt, beings, which are not responsible for mistakes, ambition or aggressiveness
of their parents and who should be given a chance to walk the path, which will not copy mistakes - and if they don't want to, then neither
achievements – of their parents.

Saturday in the sign of the circle has already begun. Hanka Zemanová brought him into the hall with such naturalness, until it took my breath away. Author of two organic cookbooks and the captivating book Rhythm of the Year, is no ecobiogreendia fanatic. On the contrary. Her calm and somehow self-evident depiction of our dependence on the cycle of nature, the nature of using it, what grows around us, creativity in dealing with it, the ability to accept the rhythm of the year and become part of it, not to oppose him and not to sin with hysterical work effort or inability to perceive the present moment - all this was shockingly self-evident. I had a feeling, that my soul has known for a long time, but that's why I do everything, to resist such a rhythm of life. And that I am looking, but Hanka Zemanová finds.

Hanka filled me with positivity, hope and desire to succumb to that nature. And how I observed others, they were the same way. If the arrows are already red somewhere, I'm afraid, that we will fight over them tomorrow at the edge of the forest.

Between individual lectures, it was possible to simply experience what was heard and seen, but also to undertake a several-step journey into the corners, in which interesting people connected to Intermingling in one way or another, they sold interesting and meaningful things. So, for example, the Paper Ship arrived in the vestibule, bookstore, which has been cruising against the current of the Tupecké šedi books in its home ports of Rumburk and Varnsdorf for some time, criminal ignorance and complete indifference. The project of two young people, Veronika and Jan Uhrová, it's a bookstore, as every lover of literature imagines him. Here they know, what they sell. Here they are able to distinguish, recommend, help, show. Here, a kilo of bananas and yogurt won't add to a book from the top of the bestseller list. Here they can excite you and blow you away with their own enthusiasm and insight. You are not a buyer here, here you are the explorers.

You could buy a lot here, but you couldn't say about a single one of those things, that he does not belong to the Intertwining of Worlds circle. And at the same time - you know it - you make a fair in the square and you want to, so that there are only sellers of tasteful and charming things - and lo, suddenly there is some kitsch, you don't even know, how did he get there. Irena Kubicová can handle it. Who is invited here, they must earn their participation with taste, invention and originality.

In this year's Blending, as you know, the relationship with the children was often discussed, responsibility for them, but also their own responsibilities, about opportunities, which we should give them, so that they can grow up with dignity and in their own way. Irena and Aleš Kubic do not drink water or wine. Whenever I meet their children, I'm excited, how naturally and evenly they grow. Well, tell me, why displace a fourteen-year-old girl and tell her – “Look, we now have the Blending, so have some fun, we will then take care of you again..." No. Ema wanted to get involved in Intertwining, and so she set up a shop with her mom's poetry and her homemade bath salts. Why don't we all do it like this??

Then another circle spun in Intertwining Worlds, this time seemingly delusional. Pavel Rataj, the psychologist and sought-after couples therapist essentially shot the audience one question after another in the form of brilliant stand-up comedy and torpedoed the current relationship reality. He took me off completely. I had a feeling, that the task has no solution and that all injuries, which we carry from childhood and from previous relationships, we let our current partners eat them and thus condemn our relationships to extinction.

After all, Pavel Rataj himself wrote about it on his Facebook: “I overwhelmed the brave attendees with questions, whose goal was only one: Create a strong touch and break internal stereotypes and ideas about satisfaction in long-term relationships. I came with faith, that instead of consumer advice and instructions, I will try to reach out, wake, provoke, strengthen or touch at least one of those present... So we'll see, whether the blending was successful.” Well, I might just be that one. The very next morning, with the distance of the night, it came to me, that it was not an ironic diagnosis with no possibility of treatment, but that each of the mistakes, which Pavel Rataj described, can be turned into positive behavior. It suddenly made perfect sense to me.

I think, that it is high time to introduce you to a person, who became (several times already) the perfect sealer of the day. Although the lectures connected on each other quite incomprehensibly, what didn't one say, said the other, without knowing, what will others say?, but without Martin Růžička, the whole program would not be so coherent and would not have such a self-evident and benign outcome. Martin I demon, fact. A very talented actor, singer, who makes a living from marketing, in which he is also great. It just happens that way sometimes, pámbu sits on a beam and keeps throwing talents at one place...

I saw Martin moderate somewhere - and he was always different, always funny and prompt, but he always served the cause and had not the slightest tendency to steal the program for himself. That's rare and I respect him a lot for that. His preparation is seriously perfect. A little proof: when he couldn't find anything on the web about one of the presenters - Ron Clark, because it was de facto "only" a common man, the husband of the last of the lecturers, however also a mentor, he held up a perfect portrait of Ron Clark, athletes, holder of seventeen world records, and as the audience cast admiring glances at the unsuspecting Ron, he ended his tirade by saying: “And he died five years ago… because he's a completely different Ron Clarke! Brilliant, wittily, imaginative. In addition, he prepared an author's song for each lecture, which the lecturer introduced - and also shot down, because usually you had to wait a while, when the lecturer calms down after a fit of laughter.

Then came one of the highlights of the conference. I really like Milli Janatková as an author and singer, I listen to her records quite often. In addition, he paints - and again well, her watercolors have a soul. I had no idea at all, that her life partner is Kuba Neubert, who has been afflicted with polio since birth. Maybe, if it wasn't right before this sophisticated forum, it would - still - at least cause embarrassment. Not here. They, too, Milli with Kuba and four-month-old puppy Ferda, within the first few words they opened up their world and explained, that despite many prejudices, with whom they meet, they don't live closed in a circle, that their colorful and rich worlds are intertwined - the world of kumštu and IT, which Cuba is devoted to, the world of the handicapped and the world of the rest of us, whose affected is not so visible, and last but not least, the world of Milli and Cuba. This - completely unimaginable for many - blending turned out to be completely natural after a few minutes, without gestures and calculations. They're just together, because they want to be together and however they haven't directly talked about love, she was very visibly present.

Irenka asked me, to photograph the whole event. I'm just confessing now, that my ass was tight and my forehead sweaty. I don't feel like a photographer. But I understand, why did she want this from me. If something was given to me, I can look and capture the essence of things. Damn the quality and professional level of the photos, I'm all about the content. And if you are from the hundreds of photos, what I did at the conference I really appreciate some, then this one. It has everything in it. If you look closely at her, you swallow most of the questions, that you were thinking of just a moment ago. And quite possibly you will be a little envious. Please, by itself.

Lively lectures satiate the soul and the body is waiting for an opportunity. She came during the lunch break. Fortunately, Krásná Lípa is an island of positive deviation, the tourist infrastructure is quite developed here, and so it was, where to go. Most often - and already in the morning - they ran to the nearby cafe Ateliér, where Jitka and Miloš Kubišto prepared food and drinks, which blended very nicely with it, what was happening in the lecture hall.

Pumpkin, tagine, couscous with ratatouille, rain rain rain, mint tea... And by the way, a pleasant environment for a debate about it, what just happened and will happen soon.

After lunch, a place for a quiet experience, whirlwind. Cheers. Tonička Nyass, singer, the musician and brain-based coach filled the hall with a wonderful wave of energy within a second, which took possession of all, even those rather self-contained. Tony opened them like a can of lunch meat. The flow of her words, guests, mimic, ach, how contagious it was… Even that belief, that one can do anything, that being embarrassed is beautiful, that who does not open the door, can't fit in. That the desire for minimalism and a life packed to bursting are not mutually exclusive. That the right hemisphere is a planet of infinitely deep fantasy and that you can live multiple lives at once.