| |
Back
SWITZERLAND
Watching Time and Timelessness in Zurich
By Jheri
High
atop the peaks of the Alps, any idea of man’s concept
of time is meaningless. But the timeline of the Swiss Confederation
began in 58 B.C., when Rome conquered the Helvetii, the native
Swiss people. This history continued through 1291, the traditional
beginning of today’s Swiss Confederation; past 1499
and Switzerland’s virtual independence; and into1648
when Swiss independence was formally recognized in the Peace
of Westphalia agreement. Switzerland remained neutral in both
world wars. It seems content with spectacular views, enormous
geological variety, and the highly industrialized production
of jewelry, precision tools and instruments, textiles and
chemicals and watches. Zurich, Switzerland, is home to the
largest clock face in the world, which oversees the hustle
and bustle of transient human civilization.
Kyle Steiner of Aliso Viejo, California, was a student on vacation
from his London studies in Zurich in November of 2003. He enjoyed
seeing the lake, watching rowing
teams, and touring this major urban center of banking and financial activities,
tourist hotels, restaurants and other attractions. And he also collected some
soil for Common Ground 191 while he was there. “The organic constitution
of the shore of the lake where I collected my sample was coarse sand. I didn’t
have anything to dig up the soil with except my hands. I had to find soil that
was soft enough to get a large enough amount using just my hands.”
Both the timeless Alps and the large clock face watched as Kyle added his contributions
to this important peace project. Switzerland’s soil is certainly unique—a
country that has remained neutral in civilization’s largest wars should
probably have more than its proportionate amount in Common Ground191 collage.
Maybe it would cause a spontaneous, contagious healing of the other earthly matter.
 |
 |
Top | Back
|
|
|
