Schrijver means writer in Dutch. This is a page from The Holland Journal. Someone I had met in Holland (back in 2000) recently got in touch with me via email. An excerpt below from the recent email:
One evening a friend (Cathelijne) and I decided to hang out in the Irish pub. Soon we started talking with this nice girl, Megan, carrying a notebook. She told us that she was from the United States and was traveling through Europe and the Netherlands and for some reasons I do not remember anymore about why she visited Groningen that day. See was curious about our lives, the Netherlands and the city of Groningen.
It is a weird thing that for reasons unknown and at times you least expect it you meet people you never forget. It is that magical thing that makes some people and some events more special than others. I remember we liked the girl and decided to take her on tour in the night life of Groningen. It became a great night. We visited many bars, had many, many dances and had a lot, lot, lot of fun together. It was so to say legen, wait for it, dary (to quote Barney from the sitcom How I Met Your Mother).
I remember that it was already early the next morning when I walked the girl back to her hotel. I remember me and her talking about her dream to write a book about her travels and about the poetry see sometimes wrote. Since she had to travel back further (I think even back to the States) the next day we decided to exchange e-mail addresses and keep in touch and maybe, who knows, meet again somewhere.
Do you remember?
Is it weird to reply to a 14 year old e-mail (and spam it to all other addresses I could find of you)? Yes, it definitely is but my curiosity wins it over the chance you do not like it or do not remember so here is my reply. I hope that you receive it, read it and maybe reply again and answer the questions. How are you, are you well and do you remember? …. I do…
We had kept in touch briefly by email in 2000 and life faded into life for both of us on separate continents.
I often thought of this person wondering what happened to him. So interesting when life comes full circle. For me, 14 years later, he remembered the girl with the journal who asked people to sign it. He could very well be the person who wrote “Schrijver” in the journal. I love this page of the journal. There is a coffee stained poem written on the back.
Walking
Strolling along in
Amsterdam along
A canal lined street
2 young girls scream
In fun, “Halo” to fellow Sunday
strollers.
Little Girl amusement sings
in their shirts
I ask to take their picture
and they say cheese with
innocent gaiety.
As I walk away on of the
girls says, “Touriste.”
I say “Watch it…no
touriste…artiste.”
***
There is a quiet hum
Now as I sit on green
Steps. My yellow backpack
Blends in so
And I share a moment
With grace.
