In 2016 I welcomed with enthusiasm the fact that I had crossed the 100,000 limit or 100,000 readers. Although I have never discovered who was actually responsible for this.

And now already the next celebration. Since the beginning of the year more than 50,000 readers have visited this site.

Thank you for YOUR visit. It is a wonderful feeling. A feeling that it is worthwhile, that it interests others, that it’s fun. And that is far from being all. As the contributions are posted in various social media, there are already really more than 100,000 readers a year. What took five years in 2016, now takes a year. Incredible.

Egoistically I have refused a to take part in an electronic discussion. Please forgive me. I welcome your comments, but react seldom or almost never. That has only one reason: if I start doing so, I’ll never be able to leave the screen. And if I don’t leave the screen, I’ll no longer have time to experience the things and hear the stories it is worth sharing with you.

Yesterday one of my acquaintances told me such a great story. Her parents fled in 1969 before the Russians from Czechoslovakia to Switzerland. They had no money. Only willpower and courage. She was then 11 years old and the question was what should she do – go to a high school or a secondary school. She had been in Switzerland for only a month and in six months the new school year (then on 1 April) was due to begin.

Her Swiss primary school teacher thought the secondary school would be enough, because she was a girl and would in any case marry. In any event she could not take the entrance exam for the high school, because that was six months ago. But it was her good fortune that he had invited the boys in the class to play chess with him. The girls could go home. But she wanted to take part and this afternoon she had played against her teacher and won hands-down. Fortunately, he was not put out, but thoughtful. And in the revenge match her parents had explained to her that it would be politically preferable, if she did not beat him so clearly. So their next game was drawn.

But for her it meant that he had made it possible for her, despite the lack of money and the examination, to start in the high school from 1 April. And she passed the leaving certificate with distinction, studied and had a storybook career. Isn’t that a wonderful modern Cinderella story!! I just like collecting such good stories and sharing them with you.