A walk along the Rotte. I made photos of the typical Dutch views i came across. The houses with the highway in the background, the windmill, the birds besides the highway, views on the Rotte with reet and grass and trees. And a clear blue sky with no airplanes at all!
Today on Twitter i came across an article called ‘Onze politieke macht regeert niet alleen over het leven, maar ook over de dood‘ published in Vrij Nederland 21 March 2020. I need to reread this article, as it touches on many different subjects within current and past politics and society. For now i will quote some parts which really impressed me. These quotes are in Dutch. Later on i will write more about this in Englsih.
Wat een goed artikel dit https://t.co/X03OKLrRoQ
— Jaap Stronks (@jaapstronks) March 29, 2020
In lijn met Da Vinci constateerde de Japanse socioloog T. Awaya: ‘Tegenwoordig bekijken we elkaars lichaam met een gulzige blik, als potentiële bron van losse onderdelen waarmee we ons leven kunnen verlengen.’ Hij gebruikt de term ‘sociaal kannibalisme’.
In Nederland weet bijna iedereen, nu de wetgever elke Nederlander tot potentiële donor heeft verklaard, dat burgerschap ook inhoudt dat het eigen, ademende en levende lichaam van staatswege precair is geworden, een zak van huid met daarin dobberende organen en weefsels: een toekomstig medisch hulpreservoir.
In 1998 i stated officially for the Dutch state i wasn’t prepared to donate any organs after i died. Something i still feel fits with my personal life view. Reading this article reinforces my opinion on this subject and gives me more tools to work with to talk about this with other people. Still in early stages though. More will follow!
A walk i made last Friday through the centre of Rotterdam. A quiet city, for sure. I stayed clear of all people i came across, made many photographs. The best ones i show here. Many many closed shops or ones with different entrances. Two people at work in the garden, closed for the volunteers. Two doves unaware of everything that is going on in the human world. 🙂
This morning i got out of bed quite early. I ate my breakfast, oats and got ready to walk to the dentist. It was so quiet on the streets. The sun was shining. Some people were outside. I managed to stay clear of them. When i entered the dentist’s place i cleaned my hands with the hand sanitizer hanging at the entrance. I said my name to the receptionist behind the glass panel. I sat down and waited for around ten minutes.
I’m relieved to say that the whole dentist thing was not as bad as i anticipated. The anaesthetic was the most painful feeling. It did numb the whole lower right face. In two weeks time i have another appointment with the dentist dor a new bracelet, this time behind my teeth.
On the way back, my face still half numb, i went into the Gimsel. This time the entrance was one door to the right. Spirit, the vegetarian restaurant over there is closed. At the entrance there was hand sanitizer and paper towels. Inside the shop i waited when i wanted something where somebody else was looking for something.
Weird weird weird.
I’m not afraid. Not scared. But this does impress me.
The gardening is stopping as of last Monday. I was really sad when i heard this. Today i have given myself a bit of time to adjust and think about how to fill my future days, for the next few weeks anyway.
I do understand this difficult decision. But i do feel sad. I will really miss being in the gardens and seeding and weeding and looking around and enjoying the birds and the sounds they make.
Luckily it is not a complete lock down yet. We are permitted to go outside when you are alone, so i will go out and make walks. Like i used to do the first two years of maintaining this website.
Tomorrow morning though i have an appointment with the dentist. Not something i look forward to. But it has to be done. An aftermath of the fall i had on 3 February. I don’t think i will do anything active after that, apart from some groceries i want to get.
Friday is gonna be a lovely warm and sunny day. A perfect walking day!
This afternoon i walked to the Vredestuin Noord garden. I worked a bit more on a new drawing. Still in development. After around forty five minutes i walked around a bit. At the back, against the wall of the old railway, there were a couple of straw heaps standing against it bathing in the sunshine. I sat up there, listening to the birds and the cars racing past behind the trees.
I’m thinking about the distance of a meter and a half the Dutch government is setting up as a rule. I understand this, of course. But at the same time i am thinking about our individualistic society. Everyone apart. Everyone not connected to anybody else. Everybody alone. Singled out. On itself.
I know, i know this is not a conspiracy post. I am not thinking that, not at all. But it is on my mind. Mulling it over. Trying to think it through.
It is strange, how this rule is making something so visible. And impossible to ignore. Outside the house. Inside the house. Very strange.
These are strange times. As i said in an earlier post, if i get sick, if i die, so be it. I hope not, but it is not in my hands. My life continues. No work, no public transport, no kids. We are not required to stay in our house the whole day here in the Netherlands, so i make walks. The garden work continues, with smaller groups.
I’m steering my life. It is a bit like the end of Thelma & Louise, driving the car of the cliff into the depths of the afterlife. Still giving direction, just not sure where i’m headed for. Apart from love of course. But i don’t know if that is in the cards for me. I simply don’t know.
I do know i need to let go of some many things. So many feelings. So many desires. So many wants.
I try to live my life as good as i can. I try to make the best of it, my own way. I try to really think about things. I try not to accept what other people say too easily. I still feel happy with this.
I hope i get somewhere. I hope i get out of this nowhere land i’m in now.
Enjoy the weekend. Love 🙂
