Passerby
I am merely a passerby. If you measure my existence, my time here on earth, the footprint I leave behind, against the bigger picture, it amounts to nothing. If you play the history of humanity in fast-forward, my entire existence is at most a minuscule flicker. I need this realization from time to time to remind myself how relative a human life is.
Head start
My cradle stood here in the Netherlands, so I think I have a decent head start on people born elsewhere. Moreover, my parents and ancestors were also born in the Netherlands and are all pale-skinned. My parents both successfully completed one or more vocational training programs and were able to let my sister and me study. If you hold that starting position in the Netherlands, I believe you have a head start on the rest.
Values and norms
But no matter how good and comfortable I have it, I am and remain a passerby. Just like every other living being on this planet. What does my life matter? Is it meant as a source of inspiration for the stories of the future? Will my great-grandchildren even mention my name? I myself stand on the shoulders of my ancestors. They created the conditions for the path I now walk. In turn, I try to pave a way for my children too. Just as my parents did for me and their parents for them. This doesn’t have to be a path in the material sense. It’s mainly values and norms that I hope to pass on.
Peace and freedom
In my childhood I learned that peace is not a given. The end of World War II was not long ago and the Cold War was in full swing. Armed conflicts constantly flared up all over the world. As a child, I never felt physically threatened by it, it was the reality I had to live with. How different is it now? Four years ago, Russia brutally invaded Ukraine. Since then, thousands of men, women and children have lost their lives. Why? Because freedom cannot be bought. Peace no longer reigns in Europe and our freedom is under pressure daily. That is the reality in which my children are growing up. What does that do to them?
The American Dream
When I was my children’s age, America was in many ways the promised land. It was the land of infinite possibilities. A melting pot of cultures. A country where you could become a billionaire as a paperboy. I have had to adjust that image of America more and more since then. And by now it has completely lost the charm I once attributed to it. It no longer represents the land of infinite possibilities, but mainly a country in moral decay.
Are we heading in that direction here in the Netherlands too? In my opinion, it’s not people but mainly the economy that forms the starting point for our country’s political course. And unfortunately, I fear that won’t improve during the next cabinet period either. Breathing a sigh of relief because the experiment with the PVV is over? I don’t think so. With a slightly less right-wing cabinet, the dismantling of the Netherlands will be slowed down somewhat, but there’s also no break in the trend. And certainly not a movement in the right direction.
That’s not possible either as long as we collectively keep holding on to our achievements. Things will only really change when push comes to shove. When our economy comes to a creaking and groaning halt due to the dismantling policies of recent decades. Only when we’re forced by the water at our lips to reconsider our achievements, only then will the actual dismantling of the Netherlands stop in my view and we can start building.
Steward or profiteer
I am merely a passerby, so it will probably last my time. But what do I want to leave behind when I exchange the temporal for the eternal? What do I want to pass on to my children? How do I deal with the irreplaceable treasure that I have only been lent for a very short time? What place do I assign myself in this creation? Do I try to be a steward and thus contribute to maintaining a livable planet for future generations? Or am I a profiteer who only pursues his individual short-term interests and doesn’t think about the damage I cause with my behavior?
Sacrificing achievements
I would most like to pass on the earth a little more beautiful than when I was born. That is my greatest wish. Personally, I therefore feel more at home with the concept of steward than with profiteer. The question is, however, am I that? If I’m honest, I’m both. While I do my best to behave as much as possible as a steward, I cannot deny that I am also an enormous profiteer. I too make choices that are more focused on my short-term interests than on the long term. Choices that relate to things like income, health and facilities, for example. But I am also willing to change. Even if that means giving up long-cherished achievements.
For example, several years ago I stopped eating animal products. Why? Because science is very clear about it. You don’t need animal products if you use sufficient high-quality plant-based alternatives. Moreover, the environmental impact of an eating pattern that is as plant-based as possible is much less than an eating pattern rich in dairy, eggs, fish and meat. Science is also very clear about that. Not to mention animal welfare. In short, I really do try to put my money where my mouth is. That’s not always easy, but I hope I still have decades ahead of me to perfect the role of steward.