My life in the tub
If I am honest – I once imagined my life quite differently.
When I was cast many years ago in a small English manufactory, with much love for detail, from finest bronze 🟫 und with proper posture, I thought my place might one day be in a well-kept park. Or in a courtyard with roses. A place where people walk by und say: “Oh look, how elegant.”
Aber my fate was called Walter. Und his 60th birthday 🎉 in 2012. Carinthia. Landhaus Gritschacher. Und I was the gift. Bronze. A bissl British. Und rather surprised.
I remember it well – even though there are no photos of it. I arrived well packed, was ceremoniously unpacked und suddenly stood in the middle of the celebration. A great hello! 🥂 Surprise, glasses, applause. Und Walter – he was speechless. I was placed in an old wooden tub 🪵🛁 – found in the Stadel, heavy, venerable und full of stories.
So there I stood. Quite still. Und the water began to splash. 💧
Mit der Zeit kamen die Menschen. Einige schauten nur kurz. Andere blieben stehen. Over time, the people came. Some only looked briefly. Others stopped. Und some said: “He looks as if he is thinking something.” Und that is true. I think a lot – aber I say little. I was made more for listening.
In 2017, I was given more room. The wooden tub stayed – out of respect. Aber the fountain around it became nicer, more generous. A new place for old thoughts. Und my audience became more colourful: 🚶♂️ pilgrims, 🚴♀️ cyclists, 🐾 dog owners, 🍦 children with ice cream – they all passed by. Und I stayed. I remembered faces. Und stories.
Then came a strange time – the time of quiet roads. Corona. 😷 I kept standing there – unmoved, aber not forgotten. Und I was given a new home: a whirlpool tub. Sky blue. Without bubbles, aber with a view. A little wellness for the soul.
Ach yes, about my language. Originally, I spoke Oxford English. Aber after more than ten years here in Carinthia – between Glaserl, garden und conversations – my tone has changed a little. I speak High German. With a fine touch from here. Not quite British. Not quite rural. Aber unmistakably: #HerrMeier
Today I stand here. In summer with a sun hat 🕶️. In winter with a snow cap ❄️. I observe, I listen, und sometimes … I think about the world.
I am not a monument. I am a fountain philosopher. A listener with a view. A piece of metal with a soul.