Statute Anniversary Reflection
December 17, 2024
Today, December 15, marks 70 years since the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands was signed. This day was once known as "Statuutdag," later renamed "Day of the Antilles," but the Antilles as an entity ceased to exist after the restructuring in 2010. That restructuring brought changes to autonomy within the Kingdom, and an underlying quest for autonomy links the histories of 1954 and 2010.
What has all of this brought us? This question makes me think of my father. He devoted his life not only to education but also to opvoeding others. He lived in a time when professions like a teacher, nurse, police officer, and other callings commanded respect, appreciation, and even admiration. Until his death, he believed in the value of these professions. My wife partly shares this sentiment, but I see things differently. For me, appreciation from others is nice, but I don’t need it. Self-appreciation is enough for me.
However, it seems that respect and interaction between people have become more problematic. (Tur hende ta hende pendeu.) This became clear again this morning while breakfasting with my wife and son at a somewhat healthy franchise. I heard her correct an employee and her colleague over a mishandled transaction and interaction.
After the incident, I shared my reflections with her. It struck me that communication between people nowadays often feels strained. It seems that more words are needed to understand each other, yet this often leads to misunderstandings.
This issue goes deeper than individual incidents. It is connected to society's general "dumbing down," the erosion of values and norms, and people's personal complexes. Our colonial past and its accompanying inferiority complex play a significant role here. Additionally, since around 2005, there has been a growing belief that there should be no differences between people—a perspective that sometimes results in a lack of respect for others.
I wonder how tourists experience this. Language barriers likely mask the same dynamics, though exceptions undoubtedly exist. Simple transactions sometimes go smoothly, but this is becoming less common.
How did we get here? I think it’s significantly due to politicians' example and the atmosphere they create. Helmin Wiels's ground-breaking, polarizing work plays a role in this, even though he was right on some points. Yet, this is not just a local issue; it seems part of a global trend. But that’s a topic for another time.
Nos a bira brua! What’s next? For myself, I adopted a simple rule years ago: I don’t engage in discussions with people who clearly don’t have enough capacity to understand. This helps me avoid frustration. But how can this change on a larger scale? I don’t know. Perhaps I’m the only one who sees this. Or maybe the problem doesn’t exist at all.
Miguel Goede
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