I was recently at the Nieuwspoort press centre for work...
I was recently at the Nieuwspoort press centre for work and was greeted enthusiastically by a man in a suit who looked vaguely familiar. I couldn’t quite place him, but he said: ‘I attacked you on Saturday!’. I wouldn’t have recognised him without his green shirt and had no idea he was a lobbyist.
Through the fog
‘Life is the plural of courage’ is a lovely saying, from the Loesje posters. I once dated someone who worked at Loesje. He said he’d come up with that phrase – only later did I hear that many people claim to have done so – but he’s spot on. You have to do something exciting so often, step into the unknown. Whether it’s something new at work, having to make a difficult decision, or a choice made by someone else that takes you by surprise. The beauty of looking back on your life is that you see how, precisely through all the dents, bumps and scrapes, you have become more and more yourself. One of my favourite songs that ties in with this is ‘Ravijn’ by Veldhuis and Kemper:
“For the most beautiful flowers grow right by the ravine. And to pick them, you must dare to be afraid. In full regalia, through the mist – better that than never to have tried. Take a leap, straight ahead, or fly round the bends with a smile.”
Learning patience
For me, Wing Chun is primarily a mental challenge: building muscle memory so that the movements become second nature, as it were. Normally, I’m someone who likes to pick up the pace. For Wing Chun, I’ve consciously set myself a different challenge. Step by step, not quickly but patiently. My mother always says: “Hurry once said to Good: what a pity that I see you so rarely”.
Becoming a Doctor of Public Administration was a long journey involving a great deal of content and theory. My professor helped me put that into perspective. Whenever I got stuck, he would say: “It’s only a thesis.” He called it a driving licence for the academic world; you have to pass it once, and then you’ve got it for life. I still often think back to that way of looking at things.
Mendeltje van Keulen
Year of birth: 1975
Profession:
- Professor of practice (lecturer) “European Impact” The Hague University of Applied Sciences
- Jean Monnet Chair EU Digi Act
- Researches European affairs
- Member of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV)
Residence: The Hague
Soon the fourth part of a total of five. Read more here: Humans of Wing Chun
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