I did not like school at all. So much that at an early age I decided never to have children because they are forced to go to school, (then the army in those days, then factories etcetera …). I only liked the friend you can meet there during recreation time.
Unlike so many of the children comrades, I never forgot my dislike. I never forget.
School’s out forever!
I understand your bewilderment.

Jan

I think Arnon's bewilderment is more because of the pure, untouched state these children are still in. In a few years from now, their spontanious reactions propably will disappear.

Arnon

A nice story to wake up to!
Two things occurred to me:
- I doubt you were as nervous as this for the Bert van Selm reading
- Did you like the story you read, or did you think, I can do this better? Would you consider writing stories for children?

@Arnon, what interests me is you currently find yourself at the heart/root of everything you may feel is wrong about Holland - in its two outer boundaries: primary school and university. I'm sure you've noticed that if you have a talk with a 'bestuurder' of any of these institutions and you'll find their main interest is not defining a vision, but subsidy. This has consequences for the way students are viewed, treated and subsequently for a society.

Arnon

I picture you at the Verwey-reading, while to young (not too young) girls rub your legs. I think the audience would love that.

@Mieke
Maybe. In fact in school I quickly realized that school was not about knowledge and understanding – everything interested me – but more about submission and competition.
There were only two teachers I really liked during my school career. Honest, kind and intelligent people, who did not survive long.

Arnon

Now that your godson is going to school in Amsterdam, would he and his mother still be able to go for a walk in New York City with Laura and me?

Oscar

Oh yes, he will be in New York later this fall. The question is: will you be in town?

Rutger

The story by Max Velthuis was slightly disappointing.

Noa

I might feel that things are wrong with the Netherlands, but I cannot make a case based on nothing but anecdotal evidence.
And please don’t get me wrong: Mayu’s teacher made a good impression on me.

Arnon

Maybe the boy with the curly hair was referring to the farting "Kees Kikker", not to be confused with "Kikker", if only because of the excellent drawings. I'm sure your godson would love this story.
How did the teacher refer to you? As "lees-oom?"

Yesterday I volunteered to drive schoolkids to a project in the woods close to Amsterdam. I thought I could stay in the parkinglot, preparing a case, while waiting for the children to come back. Instead I found myself blindfolding children and tying them to a rope to lead them through a specific part of the woods, looking for bugs in the soil with a spoon, and preparing herbal tea from berries and leaves. In the afternoon while waiting for the judge with my clients, they discussed their disliking of kids...

'to young girls ' should be 'two young girls' in my last comment.
Typing hastly is not my strongest.

Arnon

What kind of children books do you like? Did you read Wolkers' book for children, "Het was wel een heel lief varkentje?"

When I was teaching 6 year old children in primary school I taught them this innocent but naughty poem :
Nol Breed
liet een scheet
op het nieuwe tafelkleed
Ome Jan
schrok ervan
deed hem op zijn boterham
The children liked it very much and asked me over and over to tell it.
I hope I planted a seed for the love of poetry

Arnon

Laura and I will be in NYC later this fall, at the very least around Thanksgiving.

Oscar

He won't be in NYC around Thanksgiving I'm afraid.

Dear Jan

did you find yourself an environment that is bereft of submission and competition?

yours,

Eric

PS.

A great book for children (and grown-ups) is Astrid Lindgren's 'Karlson on the Roof'. I can highly recommend it!

Eric

Eric

And you pretend that your world isn't connected to the children's environment?

Dear Mieke

I would like to agree or disagree, but I don't quite get the question....

Eric

Eric

I was just referring to one of our small , previous conversations. See entry 'Question' 2008/08/31.

Arnon

We will try to get in touch with your godson and his mother to arrange for a meeting later this year. Does your godson still enjoy going for a walk in NYC?

Dear Mieke

Ah, I see.
Well I suppose you agree that one doesn't need to work with children (wich was the issue then) to know children-books.
I was a child myself and have good memories on some of the books that were read to me.
Some of them -like Karlson; have you read it?- I keep reading.

Eric

@Eric
Yes, I found a place where submission and competition are not the primary assets to survive, on a low profile of course. (I did not kill myself, nor did I became a mad man nor did I evolve into a kind of a tyrant, although all these options came very close sometimes).

Oscar

My godson would love to go to a playground with you and Laura.

Dear Jan

You think a tyrant or a mad man are without submission and competition?
Is your low profile place where submission and competition are not the primary assets to survive a happy one?
Or is it your loneliness that rules out submission and competition?

yours,

Eric

Eric

Whenever you write "yours" under your entries, do you mean "sincerely yours" or "up yours"?

@Eric
On the contrary, a mad man or a tyrant are full of competition and/or submission. I was referring here to the possibility and the lust for revenge, to do to others what they have done to me. I have restrained from that lust as much as possible- although I tried - because it did not suit my purposes.
And in my low profile I do feel the most happy, indeed.
Maybe that is why some people like to live in monasteries or as a hermit. Not as a sacrifice but as an act of liberation.

Dear Jeanette P.

What do you read in it?

yours,

Eric

Eric

What do you want people to read in it?

Dear Jenette P.

Whatever makes them happy.

Love,

Eric

St. Eric

You really make my day!
I

Dear J.

If your in need,
you know where to find me...

your St.