Group hug? Dan who openly accepts his transGermaness yet has no desire to annex the Sudetenland
Sent from my iPad > On Jun 16, 2015, at 9:48 AM, Rich Thomas via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > wrote: > > I wanted to let you all be the first to know about my decision and > announcement. I have been thinking long and hard about it, and had to screw > up my courage but with your help and consideration I decided it is finally > time to let the world know. > > I have become transGerman. > > Yes, this may surprise everyone, but it is something I have known since I was > a kid, even before I really knew what German was. I guess my first > awakenings started when I watched WW2 movies on TV when I was young. Then > Combat! came along in prime time, and my curiosity was aroused more by the > German soldiers, tanks, guns, half-tracks, and yes, old Mercedes staff cars > than by Sarge, Little John, etc. The power and strength projected by that > machinery resonated with me deep in my soul. I cringed when the pilots of 12 > O'clock High bombed all that equipment but I could not let on. As time went > on I was always the German when we played war, and willingly allowed myself > to be shot and captured by my American friends. They all thought it was just > playing, but inside I knew I really was German and it was not acting for me. > Hogan's Heroes? Don't even get me started on that -- Colonel Klink showed me > that wearing a monocle was OK, even though I only did it in private. > > In high school, when I heard a classmate's father actually owned a > Mercedes-Benz car, you can't imagine the feelings that stirred in my heart. > I wanted to go touch it and feel it and run my hands over it but it was not > to be. I still could not tell anyone for fear of the lingering stigma > associated with Germaness, but when another friend started taking German > language classes I started to feel like there was hope. I was still afraid > to open up to anyone about my true self, so kept it repressed even to family > and friends. > > As I got older, and the opportunity arose to actually purchase a > Mercedes-Benz car of my own, I jumped on it! The joy I felt was tempered by > the reality that actually coming out as transGerman would alienate friends > and neighbors and family, so I kept it quiet still (though I think many > suspected my true nature). When I began spending hours talking about German > cars, researching the fascinating details of the different makes and models > and years and how to keep them running well, I knew it was only a matter of > time. > > I found this list and found a community of acceptance, which has meant so > much for me. > > When my son needed another car, my first thought was Mercedes! I could live > vicariously even more through his experience, though I was not trying in any > way to recruit him to this lifestyle, though he did need to develop an > understanding of what it meant. My daughter learned to drive a Mercedes but > she is clearly cisAmerican too. > > My near-redemption came when my wife indicated that she too wanted a > Mercedes-Benz automobile, a diesel even! I knew then that acceptance of my > true Germaness was at hand! I'm sure many of you have suspected this and I > thank you for your understanding and acceptance of my decision to make it > official! What really made it right for now was driving the ML350 Bluetech > this weekend and just knowing it was sooooooo right! All my fears and > apprehensions have evaporated, and I truly feel joy to announce officially > and with great pride my transGermaning. > > I know we can't all be physically together to celebrate this big event in my > life so I hope that you all can go start your cars today and think a bit > about what this means to me, and to work hard for full transGerman acceptance > in our society. > > Carry on! > > --R > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
