end of bathing

The Steyrer Stadtbad has been a bit of world fame for a few days, because a lifeguard there tipped a boy from the tenth into the sports pool.

The pictures of the incident, taken with a mobile phone camera, were a hit on social media. The lifeguard has now lost his job, the public prosecutor’s office is investigating, in short: the lack of control for a moment has caused serious damage, all the consequences are not yet foreseeable.

I followed this unusual event with particular interest, because as a student in the 1980s I worked as a lifeguard at the Steyr municipal swimming pool for four weeks at a time for three summers. This summer job was only spectacular for my friends, but I quickly realized that we were further away from Baywatch than Steyr was from California.

Above all, after a series of hot summer days, the level of aggression among the bathers increased, in such high summer weeks we were more likely to be called bath washes, not lifeguards.

Tact and diplomacy were much more important than the whistle around our necks with which we were supposed to bring impetuous fellows to their senses.

I bet it’s gotten a lot harder now. Are teenagers still impressed when they are threatened with a bathing ban? I doubt it.

At this point I don’t want to acquit the lifeguard either, but he will not have climbed to the tenth without reason. There is no question that he then went over the top.

It is an example of how situations can derail. Giving in to anger can sometimes be liberating. Very often, however, see Steyr, only then does the Zores really begin. It is therefore also an ideal example to point out the importance of self-control. Take a deep breath, count to ten, etc. – there are many recipes for staying in control. But what helps most is being able to anticipate the turmoil that can be unleashed with a spontaneous outburst of anger.

This also applies to private circles, an insult can usually only be caught again with a lot of effort, and the thought “I never would have said that” often haunts you until you sleep.

Or let’s take a look at Spain, where the president of the football association couldn’t control his macho demeanor after the women’s World Cup final and kissed a Spanish player at the award ceremony with an outrageous kiss. This brazen stupidity led to the maximum escalation. Hardly anyone talks about the grandiose Spanish world champions anymore. A tragedy.

I am writing these lines knowing that friends and relatives will read the text with amusement. As a peace apostle, I am not in the first rank. But when it comes to “Häferl”, I’m an expert.