I’m in Eastern Germany. Rich with cultural history. Included in that history is communism, oppression, dictators and socialism. I visited Brussels, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Nuremberg, Prague, and Berlin. While in Nuremberg, I witnessed a protest.
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First came the police in riot gear, then students with gripes, then police cars with an ambulance or two. Just in case. The students had banners and blew horns. They seem like young college students, along with a few homeless folks that had been asking for money in the subway. They didn’t seem too angry and it was orderly.

It was a beautiful afternoon, so I decided I’d join in and walk for a while. Looked like a couple of tourists like me were tagging along. My first protest and I had no idea what the noise was about. My German is worse than my Spanish. I know ‘danka shane’. The girl walking next to me seemed friendly and knew English. Most young people do. So, what are we protesting I ask? Startled, she said refugee oppression. Germany has open borders don’t they, I asked. Yes, but these people, have nothing. I can relate, I’m from Texas and I’ve been here for a week, and I’ve gotten nothing free yet. You can’t relate, you’re a rich capitalist from the USA. But I care about people that are oppressed, I said. She looked at me like I was an alien. Where are we all from, I asked? All over she shared. Are there a lot of us? And what do we want? Health care and food. And if the establishment won’t listen, we are prepared for a hunger strike. Really, I said, these folks look pretty well fed to me. We are college students and we are their voice. They are scattered among us. Our children, our parents, our brothers and sisters. Thanks I said, I really hit the mother lode. You’re a wealth of knowledge. Good luck and be careful. Her name was Inka…I think. I headed for the pub and a beer, as Inka turned the corner with her cause.

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I sat nursing a beer and thinking about what I’d just witnessed. My first protest. The police had given them plenty of space and they seemed peaceful. Don’t know about the hunger strike. I left the next day. On to Prague and another protest. But Inka was protesting a cause she believed in. As Will Rogers once said, “Until we understand the plight of others, the world will never be in peace.” I thought about my own trip to Munich where I had met with BMW International. I told a lady with the marketing department about my journey to South America and my book, Leave Tomorrow. I wanted them to sponsor me. Give me a motorcycle and gear to ride around the world. I would write good things about them. A guy on a motorcycle riding solo. No film crew, no movie star, just the common man. And you can do it at any age. I would even take pictures, and I showed them my best ones! I wanted to ride around the world promoting goodwill. With a message that anyone can do this. If you have a dream, you too can leave tomorrow and make it happen. She sat and graciously listened to me for about an hour. Then she sat back and said, “That’s a nice story and you’re to be commended for a great journey. We have many people that want us to sponsor their rides, but we like those that have film crews, and that are movie stars. Those that have a million social media following. Those that ride in groups and take professional pictures of the BMW motorcycle in action. You see, Mr. Weisiger, we want to know what you bring to the table. How many motorcycles can you sell for us? We are a business and if we give you something we expect you to give us something. She did buy me lunch and gave me a nice sticker for my motorcycle, put me in the cab and sent me on my way.” I sat there stunned. Did she not remember the part where I entertain people with my rope?
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And that my friends, is free market economics… I think I’ll go on a hunger strike. Lost on a hiking trail somewhere in Europe.
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Happy trails.
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Read more about Dirk’s journey to the bottom of the world, in his new book, Leave Tomorrow. Found in paperback and kindle on Amazon. A portion of the proceeds help provide scholarships for a private school that prepares children for college in Managua, Nicaragua.
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Interested in booking Dirk as a motivational, keynote speaker? Please visit https://dirkweisiger.com/book-and-speaking/