(no subject) +2

How one thing leads to another...

It's the beginning of February 2004 around 20:00. I stay about ten seconds longer at my course to say something to one of my classmates before biking back home in the dark. On the way back, no one but me, I have to wait at a railroad crossing as someone approaches me. Turns out, she wants to jump (in front of the train that is). I stayed there until I convinced her to walk back home with me.

A week later, on the way back from visiting my parents, I'm laughing and smiling like I never did before, because it was the first time I felt relatively somewhat normal again after what happened. So, while smiling like this and waiting for my connection, someone, who later became one of my best friends, asked out of curiosity while I was smiling like that. I told him the story and we kept on talking for the remainder of our trip back home. The following years, we only met sporadically. Until we happen to run in to each other again on the street. Where he then invited me to come eat at a squat in the street we were at. We've been close friends since. The chain continues...

At this squat, I befriended one of his friends (and many other people) and invited myself to the voluntary organization he worked for, Loesje. At Loesje, in which I'm still active today, I met my current girlfriend, which resulted in moving to Berlin, a wonderful city, and learning fluent German and Swedish (she is Swedish). Among many things, she is also the one who gave me my nickname and spirit animal, Kattapa (cat monkey). Also, Swedish is an amazing language to know, their films and books and music are absolutely awesome. But now, back to the squat again.

The squat, the friend who introduced me to it, and his friends, became a central part of my social life in the Netherlands (I'll be there again next Wednesday). And Loesje, later resulting in the rest of my life as I now know it, wasn't the only organization I joined through this chain of events. One evening at the squat, a voluntary organization was having a meeting there. In this meeting, I spotted an acquaintance of mine, so I went over to say hello. The guy leading the meeting, an absolutely wonderful person, quite immediately, out of the blue, asked whether I wanted to join their organization. I agreed.

The acquaintance became one of my closest friends, and me, he and the guy at the meeting became one of the teams at this organization. They continue to provide a meeting place for the homeless where they can be themselves and also get something to eat or drink and new clothing. When going to the Netherlands next week I'll will not only meet this friend but certainly will also drop by at the people working on the streets and the people gathering there.

I will not be able to sphlank myself, as this entire chain of events, including many parts I didn't describe, have basically resulted in my life. However, you are welcome to sphlank me...