I am the Son of God. Hanna the political scientist. Underwear, water bottle, and sweater upgrades.

April 5, 2024. Woke up. The washing machine is still broken. Mom is stressed because the technician who is supposed to fix the washing machine is unreachable. She has stressed me out with her nagging and blamed me for not answering the phone. Lauri ran off right after the morning drama. I fled to the balcony, angry at myself. Why did I order the items to Borsum instead of Hannover? Fool. After a few deep breaths, I calmed down again.

This damn washing machine has stressed my mother first and then me. A washing machine that has poisoned the entire morning.

After all the excitement, I suddenly got the idea for the title of my book. Instead of calling it "Masterful Minimalism" or "Extreme Minimalism," I will call it "Material Detox." Crisp, and you know exactly what it's about: detoxifying all the material stuff you've accumulated or are using. Like this broken shit-washing machine, which ruined my mood in the morning and caused a lot of stress.

Since I've been paying more attention to my inner world, I've noticed much quicker when I'm stressed and when I'm not. A nice side effect of my improved self-observation.

Masha was here for a short while. Tobi is at a training course. Masha will also be taking a course - on motivational interviewing. While having breakfast together, we got onto the topic of coffee and how difficult it is for me and Mom to change this habit. Masha advised me to make drinking coffee something special, not to forbid it, and thus reduce the regularity of coffee drinking. Or to find a substitute. It reminded me that I actually wanted to drink lupin coffee or decaffeinated coffee here in Borsum instead of the caffeinated one. Why am I not doing that anymore? Because I've run out of the alternative coffee. I should get a pack for Borsum.

My last packages arrived today: The cotton-cashmere sweater was replaced by a slightly thicker turtleneck sweater (like the ones in the Bundeswehr, but only in black). Features: It's warmer, and the zip-up turtleneck keeps the neck warm on cold days. Desired features: Dries faster and absorbs less odor. Disadvantages: Increased weight and reduced pack size.

My black Göffel has arrived. It looks beautifully black. From now on, I will only use it as a fork and spoon. But it can also be a bottle and can opener. After all, it has those functions too. If only the Göffel were made of titanium instead of stainless steel, it would be perfect.

My water bottle also arrived with the Göffel. The matte black makes it very sexy. And the good thing is, it doesn't leak. It has a bit more capacity (750 ml instead of 500 ml), as I find 500 ml somewhat too little for my current daily life. And what is also very important to me: It is not insulated (I don't want to carry warm drinks anyway. I'm only concerned with the basic need to "quench my thirst"). Since I carry it on my back every day, a weight reduction of 30% is very welcome. And now I can even heat water with it. Imagine if I land somewhere in the woods and find a water source. Then I can make a fire and boil water in the bottle. A cool survival feature.

If I ever find a black titanium bottle, I will switch. That would be another big step toward weight saving. But unfortunately, such a water bottle is not yet on the market. Plastic bottles fulfill these properties more, but I prefer to avoid plastic, and I haven’t found a plastic bottle that is completely opaque black and has no logo at all.

My first merino underwear without a noticeable logo on the outside has also arrived. It is slightly shorter in the legs and looks sexier. What will be crucial for me is whether I also switch the other bamboo underwear, whether it doesn’t start to smell quickly in everyday life, and whether it feels comfortable to wear. But at first glance, I like it.

Before I drove back to Hannover, I cut off all the labels from my new clothes and researched the question that came to my mind when I looked in the mirror yesterday: "Can facial yoga make the face symmetrical?"

While I couldn’t answer the question definitively, I at least learned that habitual facial expressions, like a mischievous smile where one corner of the mouth is higher than the other, can make the face asymmetrical. This also applies if you predominantly sleep on one side or carry your bag on the same shoulder. The reason for the slight asymmetry of my nose, at least in my case, I believe, is the asymmetrical smile I like to form, and mainly chewing on the right side. I try to chew on both sides and smile straight. The forehead wrinkles surely come from constantly furrowing my brow while reading.

At 1:18 PM, I got on the bus. I actually wanted to go to Hildesheim. The bus driver seemed to be in a bad mood. I quickly realized why. There was a constant high-pitched whistling in the bus. It hurt my ears so much that I simply got off in Harsum to wait for the train there. It doesn’t really matter whether I get on the train in Harsum or Hildesheim. As long as I have my laptop with me, I can work from anywhere.

It wouldn’t make much sense to have a car if you earn your money with a laptop. If you see driving as a necessary evil, you can be much more productive or have more quality leisure time (e.g., reading a book or meditating while waiting) by using public transport.

First, I go to the library and flex with my new water bottle, my pitch-black merino long sleeve (not as faded as my cotton sweater from washing machine times), and my black laptop. I used to wear only "all black" clothing. Now I'm also technically "all black."

Before that, I had a coffee at HanoMacke and received a long smile from a tall blonde student who walked past me outside in HanoMacke. That’s what a smile looks like when it’s meant "that way," I thought of the student with the blue pants from back then.

I was only there until 4 PM. When I left the library, I noticed a brunette student dressed entirely in black. I liked her at first glance. I walked in her direction toward the bus stop. I wanted to walk past her because I had changed my mind, but then she looked at me and smiled.

“Hey, are you going home?” I addressed her.

“Yes, exactly, and you?”

“Me too. I noticed you because of your style. You’re all in black like me.”

Then I noticed that under her black jacket she was hiding a green sweater, “but your inner values are not so black,” I said, pointing at her sweater with my head.

She laughed.

While waiting for the bus, we started talking. Her name is Hanna, she studied political science, and has now switched to law. Unfortunately, she is in a relationship and lives with her boyfriend. He approached her just like I did. When the bus came, she got on, and I continued walking toward the city center.

A large crowd gathered around a young man singing a song about Jesus at Kröpcke, while young women danced in front of him with colorful scarves. They danced sometimes just like I do in the club. Then a woman stood in the middle of the circle with a microphone and shared her story about her heartburn. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with her. Everything was fine with her body. She was desperate. But then she prayed to God, and a few days later, she no longer had heartburn. Somehow, this story reminded me of my own. The young man sang again.

I stood somewhat apart, looking around for potential dream girls, found nothing, closed my eyes, and simply enjoyed the music.

Someone touched me on the shoulder.

“Do you know who Jesus is?” a taller man leaned down to ask me, about in his mid-fifties.

I lifted my head to him. “Of course, who doesn’t know Jesus?”

“Oh, I have met many people who didn’t know Jesus,” the man replied.

He seemed to be in a good mood. He told me about Jesus, that he has risen and that we are children of God. I listened attentively and asked questions from time to time, for example, about the difference between soul and spirit. The man, who later introduced himself as Malte and came from Holland, tried to explain it to me. I didn’t quite understand.

It was about accepting Jesus and becoming a child of God, since baptism as a child wasn't voluntary.

“Alexander, do you accept Jesus?”

“Of course, Malte, I accept everyone, even Jesus.”

He continued to tell me how he had changed after accepting Jesus as his father.

“Do you want to become a son of God, Alexander?” he asked me at the end.

I answered without hesitation: “Sure, why not. It can’t hurt.”

He laughed. “Exactly, it doesn’t hurt.”

He placed his hand back on my shoulder, lifted his head to the overcast sky, and spoke with closed eyes to God. His short blonde hair blew in the strong wind. I glanced at him briefly and then closed my eyes as well.

“Father, I thank you for sending me Alexander,” he said at the end of his speech.

His conversation with God comforted me, it even touched me. I had to repeat his words.

“Alexander, I congratulate you; from now on you are a son of God.”

I thanked him. And we hugged goodbye.

I strolled through the stone gate toward the university. Something strange happened here. I walked down the avenue, looked up at the sky, and whispered very quietly, “I am now a son of God.” A gust of wind blew me slightly sideways. I repeated the sentence: “I am a son of God.” An even stronger wind came, so strong that I had to step sideways a few steps because I was simply being blown away. A few meters in front of me, a small boy fell down and started to cry. A plastic bag flew over me. A few steps further, a flock of pigeons took off into the air. People had to duck because the city pigeons seemed to disregard humans. This situation felt somehow strange. So unnatural.

Then I walked over the E-Damm home. When I arrived at the Christuskirche, something interesting happened again. I looked up at the Christuskirche and whispered again, “I am now a son of God.” I saw the church getting brighter and brighter. The sun came through a small hole in the clouds and illuminated the church and then the entire surroundings. I had to smile. This can't be coincidence, I thought. Somehow it felt good to be a son of God. On the way, I gave a homeless man in front of Lidl 50 cents. Somehow I had to do that as a son of God.

I felt so good in the new long-sleeve shirt. So sexy because it fits tighter to the body. And surprisingly, it was warmer than it looked. Later on the way, a green bag flew in front of my feet. I picked it up and threw it in the trash can nearby. When I walked back from the trash can to the sidewalk, I saw a man at the bus stop next door who looked at me and smiled kindly. I smiled back.

When I got home, it was already after 6 PM. Although I had the desire to eat, I restrained myself and drank instead. Then I washed my new underwear because it still smelled new, swept my room, took out the trash, and then sat in my room with the window open to write about what I experienced in my diary.

Evening at 9 PM. While brushing my teeth, the idea came to me: Join the Bundeswehr? To learn all the survival skills?

I was dancing in the Baggi. In the line. I was the father of two 17-year-olds who asked me if I could fill out the 'parental consent forms' for them. I did that. Unfortunately, there were only kids there. “The Dancer” was what I was called there, and I quickly made friends with many in the club through my eye-catching dances.

The Baggi has changed a lot, not only in terms of interior design but also in its target audience. Many more 18-year-olds are coming. Or maybe I have just gotten older.

After a cigarette outside, I disappointedly went to Dax. I was disappointed that I didn’t meet anyone interesting here.

In Dax, it was completely packed compared to Baggi. I, of course, also smoked there. I spoke to a red-haired girl whom I found interesting. But she didn’t come, just like the others didn’t. They say they will, but so far no one has.

On the tram home, I approached Luisa in the tram. She wore black, sexy leggings, had beautiful eyes, and short brown hair. She goes out to party alone. But she is taken. I told her that I am now a son of God and was searching for the love of my life. Unfortunately, Malte’s blessing didn’t help today.

1. My facial asymmetry is due to uneven muscle development. I should make it a habit to chew on both sides and smile straight ahead. I can also reduce the forehead wrinkles if I stop forming them while reading.
2. Material possessions not only cost money and time. They can also darken the mood and lead to conflicts in the family. I firmly believe - material possessions are poison for the beautiful immaterial values like peace, contentment, freedom, independence.
3. I will choose one color (in my case: black) for clothing as well as for all other things like cutlery, water bottle, and laptop.

Micro Upgrades:

1. My new black water bottle is 30% lighter, has a capacity of 750ml instead of 500ml, does not leak, and is completely free of inscriptions and logos. Since it is made of stainless steel, it can also be used for boiling water.
2. I am now a son of God.