This month, I have been able to cover 25 countries so far in my travels across the globe. The most memorable moment was a visit to the three-border-point joining the boundaries of Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia. As we drove to the spot dedicated to a deceased spiritual leader, Sri Chinmoy, we noticed a few cars parked in an otherwise isolated place as some people were partying.
We spent some time there taking pictures of the boundary markers and a few monuments, then rushed to Vienna to return our rental vehicle and take a train to Florence. Honestly, my wife Rachna and I had no clue about this stopover, even though we mainly planned out our three-week trip to Europe. It was our 26-year-old son Kautak who discovered it and took us there. It added another novelty to our family vacation.
But that wasn’t our only learning experience. Kautak discovered even more interesting places for us, which added to our knowledge of the world history.
For example, he who found a “Shirkers’ Lane” in Munich—a street dedicated to unsung heroes who refused to accept the power of Nazis. By travelling along this narrow alley, they avoided a memorial where everyone was supposed to salute “Heil Hitler”. When we reached there, a guided tour was in progress along a winding trail of bronze set into a cobblestoned lane. Later, Kautak took us to the BMW Museum, which has a section revealing the ugly history of the Nazi influence over the company in the past. BMW management have recognized these mistakes.
Young family member showed the way
Meanwhile, in Budapest, Kautak introduced me to the brief history of the fascists in Second World War–era Hungary. He took me to a place near the Danube river where some shoes are left in memory of victims of Arrow Cross Militiamen, who represented an ultranationalist party. Those people died between 1944 and 1945, although this space was permanently created in 2005.
This whole experience came on International Youth Day on August 12—a reminder that never underestimate the wisdom of the young. Just because you are senior doesn’t necessarily make you smarter. Kautak has proved that my knowledge about subjects like racism, of which I am so passionate, remains limited, as I still have much to learn.
For the record, I lost my way during walk from a bookstore to the Colosseum in Rome only because of my ignorance. It was my son who found me with the help of a Google map and brought me back to my worried family. So, please trust the youngsters as they are our future leaders.
Gurpreet Singh is a B.C. author and co-founder of Radical Desi. Follow him on Bluesky @gurpreetradical.bsky.social. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia, Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social, and Instagram @PancouverMedia.
