Archive for October, 2007

In a few hours I will have my first academic test in years. Communication studies. This is the academic translation for the real name of this course: ‘Applied Social Psychology: How to Make Someone Your Bitch’. Have you noticed it’s not my favorite course? I hope I actually pass this thing. Man, it’s early.

I am not sure what is more shocking: the church and museum that are burning down a few hundred meters from here (Armando museum and Elleboogkerk) or the fact that I have an exam on Thursday and I am already on chapter fourteen of the eightteen. Coffee, the Chili Peppers, a bright study corner, my book, and a big fire. Crazy.

Somehow I am in Paris. Somehow I am at the same keyboard Ive written some stories from. And somehow I have a one in two chance of becoming a goodlooking man.

The buzzer buzzes a buzz. Someone from the animal protection at the door downstairs, if I have a donation. I run downstairs to make the guy’s life impossible by dropping a bucket of saved change in his changecatcher. I open the door, and there he stands: under his purple bandana and cap backwards I can see his long dreads. I can count nine piercings and three tattoo’s in the short time I have. This of course in combination with scruffy beard, holes in his sweater, and fourteen buttons cursing anything mainstream.

Typically a guy that would be considered a danger, a threat or at least a menace to society. Considered by the normal people. The I have a job, nine insurances, a cat, two children and a blender people. The people that live in my building, for instance. Of which no one opened their doors for this menace who was volunteering his time to help protect some animals.

You know that feeling of ‘shit I still need to e-mail that person back’? Let’s consider this for a second. I am talking about friends. That means you have, or have had a friendship together. Somewhere in the past, your paths crossed, you decided to like eachother and you became friends. Maybe you drank together, maybe you laughed, cried and hugged together.

Yet now, life changed. Other things became more important, we are all growing, which will most likely include growing away from eachother. But you still e-mail once in a while, to stay in touch and to meet at some uncertain moment in the future. But then, in many cases, when you don’t mail back, the friendship ended because of you. Anger will come your way, disappointment, why didn’t you mail me back? Didn’t you care? Our friendship ended because you didn’t e-mail back!

What a beautiful way to let something bleed to death and feel no blame for this. If you really were friends, can’t you write a second e-mail? A third? Give a call? Or, dare I say, just look the other up to meet face to face?

No. You didn’t e-mail back. Hence, you don’t care about our friendship. Goodbye.