Ah yes, the annual Berlin Bathtub Races. It’s so nice to have something on which to expound besides local politics, even if it is plumbing related.
This also one of the rare instances when we can talk about people pushing each other around without having to worry about a public backlash.
That, after all, is what this event has been about for the past 25 years and will be again next Friday, when the 26th iteration of the event takes place. It’s goofiness for fun.
One would think, given the strenuous nature of many of the area’s continuing debates, issues and discussions, that something more is going on than mere differences of opinion and that critical balances might be irrevocably upset.
The bathtub races, however, put it all in perspective, because they’re just silly … in a good way.
That’s one thing that Berlin has maintained throughout its growth and success that many other communities can only wish they had: a sense of humor and a great sense of fun.
Make no mistake, Berlin politics and public affairs can be just as hard-edged as those in any other town, but these things have never gotten in the way of having a good time for the sake of a good time, nor have they prevented the players on all sides of an argument from joining in these various celebrations.
Although the bathtub races were developed originally to promote the downtown, which sorely needed a boost at the time, they have evolved into something more than a commercial exercise.
It’s now another example of how Berlin can put seriousness aside and have fun just because it can. Like the old Coke commercial used to say, it’s the pause that refreshes.
This also one of the rare instances when we can talk about people pushing each other around without having to worry about a public backlash.
That, after all, is what this event has been about for the past 25 years and will be again next Friday, when the 26th iteration of the event takes place. It’s goofiness for fun.
One would think, given the strenuous nature of many of the area’s continuing debates, issues and discussions, that something more is going on than mere differences of opinion and that critical balances might be irrevocably upset.
The bathtub races, however, put it all in perspective, because they’re just silly … in a good way.
That’s one thing that Berlin has maintained throughout its growth and success that many other communities can only wish they had: a sense of humor and a great sense of fun.
Make no mistake, Berlin politics and public affairs can be just as hard-edged as those in any other town, but these things have never gotten in the way of having a good time for the sake of a good time, nor have they prevented the players on all sides of an argument from joining in these various celebrations.
Although the bathtub races were developed originally to promote the downtown, which sorely needed a boost at the time, they have evolved into something more than a commercial exercise.
It’s now another example of how Berlin can put seriousness aside and have fun just because it can. Like the old Coke commercial used to say, it’s the pause that refreshes.