An Old Teacher Greets an Old Student

Who is lucky enough to be able to greet their former elementary school teacher at a class reunion (in Standard German, “Klassentreffen”)? I should add, however, that we’ve also run into each other a few times in a professional capacity over the years. When he recently sent me an essay in which I had expressed my desire to become a chemist, I sent him the latest

issue of *Modell-Flugsport*. For once, I was willing to accept the risk that he might conclude his grammar lessons hadn’t borne much fruit. Because as far as I can remember, the chemistry between us is just as good even without a career in chemistry. And as one gets older, one tends to become a bit more generous—which should also apply to educators. Well, the reply wasn’t long in coming. In a large envelope, professionally packaged, I received a few

weeks later, I received more than a dozen model aircraft stamps from all over the world—for me, almost an act of fiduciary care. My teacher must be an experienced collector. As a layperson, I can only admire the great feat of selecting these from a large collection of model aircraft motifs. The majority of the stamps come from Eastern Europe and Asia. Some time ago, South American stamps were also featured in the MFS. Apparently, “liberal-

“liberal” Western Europe—especially the EU—has no appreciation for leisure and hobbies. It prioritizes large corporations. The small things get in the way, are forgotten, or are regulated to death. Yet it is precisely this love of detail that holds the greatest potential for technical innovation. I thank my former teacher for giving us a different perspective on the world through his model aircraft stamps.