by Hanna Roth
The young woman being introduced made me want to perform at my first Poetry Slam. Emma lives where others go on vacation. The young woman works as a waitress in the family business, which lies pretty much exactly between the two lines of origin of her family. One half comes from the home of waffles, French fries and strong beer, the Flemish part of Belgium. The other part of the family, on the other hand, comes from the region of Gewürztraminer, chestnuts and spinach dumplings: South Tyrol in northern Italy. Emma, however, grew up in Salzburger Land, between rocky mountains and green meadows, where traditional wooden houses with geraniums stand in front of them and New Year’s Eve is celebrated in the ski hut. Emma lives through all her senses, intensely and with all her heart. She thinks in colors, sings with feeling and loves to admire art in all its facets. As a creative person, I feel connected to her when she tells me that she is convinced that somewhere in the world there is her element that completes her, her project and her purpose in life. That is exactly what I myself am working on with texts like this one. Even as a small child, Emmas two greatest passions crystallized: foreign languages and music, which set her apart from her peers and also made her lonely in a certain way. Emma would pass on to herself in earlier days that you should listen more to your mothers.
The women in her family are her greatest role models today, and the Bomma’s (Flemish for grandmother) former home is one of the places she remembers most clearly. Emma is a real ray of sunshine who has found her place in the world and her own voice through her work in the catering industry and through conscious singing. It is also important to her to spend time with people who are really worth it and to keep a certain degree of openness towards people who seem “different” at first glance. Due to her family’s diverse background, she questions every day what “being Austrian” actually means and in what respect she can or may feel Italian or Belgian because of her roots. We also talk about money: wouldn’t it actually be much more desirable to live without money? And could we also learn to organize our everyday lives with money in such a way that it is not absolutely necessary to escape from it? Emma feels happiest when she is not chasing after what she thinks she needs to feel even better. She feels safe when she can be herself with someone, laugh with the other person and tell them something that inspires her. Authentic people are the most beautiful people to Emma.
She tells me and all readers of this text that she herself no longer wastes her time on negative things because there is so much good in the world to devote herself to. With regard to art, she says that it consists not only of paintings or sculptures, but also of texts, theater and pieces of music, and that every single work has its justification and background thought, which is why a viewer/reader/listener etc. should not judge that something is not art just by her/his humble impression. Emma also tells me about her favorite dish, Sicilian tagliatelle with orange sauce and prawns, and leaves me hungry after this interview.
© Hanna Roth 2025-06-30