Guest Opinion

September 16, 1999

Arriving a little early this morning in Mt. Angel to do my weekly cable TV show live on location, I had a few minutes to wander around before taping. Many, already dressed in their traditional Bavarian clothing were dancing up and down the streets to the distinct sounds of accordions. Volunteers were carting in final loads of supplies for their booths, hanging potted plants and straightening signs in final preparation. The festival spirit was in the crisp morning air and already on the faces of those ready for the start of the festival.

The excitement of the opening ceremony and the growing merriment up and down every street was such a contrast to the morning news on the radio as I was driving to Mt. Angel just a few minutes prior. The latest word on the tragic Fr. Worth church shooting. The up-to-the-minute status of Hurricane Floyd.

All around the world, people are struggling to deal with tragedy. Tragedies of mother nature, and tragedies of mankind. In recent weeks earthquakes have jolted Turkey and Greece, killing thousands of people. Hurricane Floyd has forced entire communities to leave their homes and seek refuge in shelters. And while Floyd may be proving to be a little more gentle than predicted, it is still a hurricane that is uprooting trees, causing flooding and leaving destruction behind. Nor was it long ago a gunman burst into a daycare center spraying bullets at innocent children and care providers. And, of course, the current back-to-school events are vivid reminders of epidemic school shootings nation wide. Tragedy seems to be everywhere.

But at least for right now, tragedy is a world away from the beautiful Willamette Valley where a celebration of the harvest begins. A thanksgiving for the bounty we reap from our toil of the land. Oktoberfest is a festival designed to include the entire family and the entire community. A celebration of life itself.

The tragedies worldwide are a reminder of how delicate life is. When tragedy strikes, we are acutely aware of how quickly everything we have, life itself, can be taken away – or changed forever.

The contrasts highlighted between these tragedies and our celebration of Oktoberfest can, and should, give pause to each of us. The simple pleasures of life that we so readily take for granted when weighed against the horrendous tragedies that can, and do, happen and sometimes without warning, puts things into perspective.

Technology and all the cutting-edge, spectacular, innovative discoveries, whether they be electronic, medical or otherwise, have put virtually everyone into the modern-day fast lane! Life has been good, materially speaking, for the me- generation, the x- generation – for most people who are 30 years old or less. Whatever these generations are called, the fact is, their world is fast food, fast information, fast cars, fast credit, fast everything! Unfortunately, they don’t have any other frame of reference. However, many of the older generations have figured they, too, may as well get into the fast lane themselves, or get run over.

Conversely, Oktoberfest is as old as the community of Mt. Angel. Surrounded by old-fashioned, ethnic traditions that are evident in everything from the gaily decorated buildings, to the music, to the Bavarian clothing, revelers are swept back in time. A time that has a slower pace. A time of simple pleasures. A time of music and laughter in the streets. A time of celebration with family and friends. Ironically, the simple pleasures of this festival continue to draw greater crowds of young and old alike and bring greater joy than some modern-day events. And incidentally, Mt. Angel's Oktoberfest draws the largest crowd of any such festival in the Northwest.

Perhaps in this irony we can learn something about how to deal with today’s problems and challenges, particularly the challenges with our youth. The simple pleasures of life, a slower pace, and old-fashioned celebrations with family and friends, may have more substance and meaning, and teach us more about life’s lessons than we realize.

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