Videos / Media

- from Sjoerd Vanderbrug:

 

Monday April 18 / May 02, 14 days no phone, no conversations, no apps anymore, only thinking and remembering. 

Remembering the uncountable, remarkable, unforgettable, desirable moments with my great, good friend René! To many for this chapter…

So many times, on his boat, fishing and fantasizing about the kilos of fish that may not have caught that day but, nevertheless, in the meantime wonderfully 'roaring' along with Neil Diamond, knowing that nobody laughs about all the misses with the lyrics or false notes!

Then of course also our daily coffees in the former City Café and the discussions about climate, politics and so much more. We had always ‘simple’ solutions if we would be the President or at least something to say in the governments! Of course, nothing happened, the world turned quietly while we were still happy with our wild ideas, the coffee, and a cigarette.

14 days about all of this is like sitting in a cinema and watching movies that you have made together over the past 29 years.... 

I had also the same experience that happened in these 14 days with my father. 

I mean, the 'open answer', an answer to a question never asked. Why do I discover, too late, that there are still questions that ask for an answer? Questions that not all seem or were important, but now suddenly get a completely different dynamic or value!

What should I do? Producing an answer, myself, based on history and experiences, a kind of ‘Artificial Intelligence’?

We were for years two well-known bachelors of which for several also had a different explanation...;-) Anyway, one of our most beloved, favorite subjects were 'the ladies', which I will not discuss further here..., Rene would not like that. 

However, what I may tell you are the stories about his years in Canada when he was a teenager, early twenty. Of course, a wonderful time because often the first loves flutter in life? All (most) loves in life relate to music. So, also for us, these were great music memories as well as the stories about the girls!

I remember so well, how Rene told me about that time. About ‘a’ girlfriend, his open car and Christophe with the song ‘Aline’? 

Well, two of the open questions; ‘was this the first’ and, ‘was her name ‘Aline’? 

It could be that her name was/is ‘Aline’? A beautiful French song he/we loved so much! < https://youtu.be/XHJWBv0mh3A >

Another very interesting open question: ‘why is your son called Christopher,’ Rene? 

Strange that I never asked him before! Christopher himself can give the answer now, maybe?

I can tell many, many anecdotes, but let me stay for now on this one...

As we all know, Rene was the son of a KLM Captain and has travelled an incredible number of trips himself. One of these trips we made together..., to Panama. It happened in the early morning; it was still dark. We stood in front of the check-in desk at Flamingo Airport and the friendly gentleman behind the desk says: "Mr. Hakkenberg, I unfortunately have to inform you, that you will not get away, your passport has expired......"?

For reassurance, we went two or three weeks later to Panama and had an exciting time! 

Thinking about all of this…., how blessed I am with this memories and open questions because, I think, there is no better reason to think back about all these years more often? 

On the other hand, I hope, I have learned that life is never too short for asking questions? The simple lesson is... just do it.... NOW!