How it started…IwasborninRotterdamonChristmasDay1958,ataquartertosixin themorning.Atthetime,itwasnotuncommonfortheSalvation ArmytosingChristmascarolsinthestreets.Thatmorning,when theystoodoutsideourdoorsinging'therewasababybornonearth', my mother would have said she knew all about it.Igrewupinaworking-classneighborhoodinSouthRotterdam, oppositetheMaashaven.Myfatherwasacontrollerintheharboron theHolland-Americaline.HeissaidtohavebeenEnglandvaarder duringtheSecondWorldWarandthenspentahazyperiodin Indonesia during the police actions there.The Dutch navyIn1975wemovedtoSpijkenisse,aplacewhereconstructionwasin fullswingbecauseitwasagrowingcommunity.InthatyearIdecided tojointhenavyanddespitethedoubtsofothers,IonlyhadMAVO,to everyone's surprise, including actually my own, I was accepted.InFebruary1976IstartedtheEMV(FirstMilitaryTraining)in HollandscheRading,atownbetweenUtrechtandHilversum. Exercise,shootandmemorizeallranksandpositions.Youalsohadto showthatyoucouldswim,somethingthatwasobviouslyvery important if you fell overboard in the middle of the sea.InthesummerofthatyearIfollowedthetrainingtobecomean electrician.Actuallyself-evidentsinceelectricityandelectronicshad always been my hobby until that time.AfterthattrainingIcameaboardtheDrenthe,asubmarinefighterof theFrieslandclass.ThatshipwasinitiallystillattheshipyardinDen Helderduetomajormaintenance.Ilearnedalotfromhelpingto rebuild the ship.Attheendof1977,theDrentheleftforthewest,theAntillesand Surinameforsevenmonths.Withoutme,becausethreedaysbefore departurethedoctorthoughtIhadmononucleosis.SoIwas disembarkedandsomeoneelsewasunexpectedlyorderedtoreplace me.Aftertwomonthsatthesubmarinebarracks,Iendeduponthe Zeeland. Also such a hunter, but of a slightly older type.UnfortunatelyIhadtoconcludethatsailingwasnotformeafterall andaftertwoandahalfyearsIwasallowedtoresign.Inthe meantimemyfatherhadpassedawayandmymothermovedfrom SpijkenissetoHardenberg(OV).Sothatbecamemynewhomefor the time being.ThereisnowaperiodinwhichIcouldnotfindmywayintermsof work.Thisresultedinthemostdiversejobsandfunctions.From forkliftdrivertogreengrocerandproductionemployeeandjust about everything in between.InthemeantimeIgotmarriedandwewenttoliveinDeKrim,a sleepyvillageontheborderbetweenOverijsselandDrenthe,closeto PonyparkSlagharen(whoseFerriswheelwecouldseefromour garden).Computers and ICTIn1987Igottheopportunitytoworkatasmallcomputershopin Coevorden.IactuallyneverthoughtI'dfindworkthere,despitethe factthatmyhobbywithcomputersandelectronicshadtakenon quiteseriousformsbynow.Whilethebusinesscommunitywasonly asmallpartoftheclienteleatfirst,itsoonmadeupthemajority.PCs andnetworkswereontheriseandwiththehelpofthenecessary education,coursesandtraining,Imadethemattermyown.Notonly inthefieldoftechnology,butalsologistics,financialandproject management belonged to this.In1997Idecidedtoturnmybackonthesmallscaleofthecompany and seek refuge in the large business community.That'showIendedupasaprojectleaderatKPNinGroningen,first oncontract,laterasafreelancer.AfterayearIdecidedtospreadmy wingsevenfurtherand,againasafreelanceratacommunication companyinAmstelveen,IreorganizedtheICTorganization.During theweekthereinahotel,theweekendsathome.Thattaskwas completedafterayearandafterthatIendedupasaninterim manageratacompanyinVeenendaal,amongotherthings.Icarried outvariousassignmentsforthatcompany,alsoseveraltimesatKPN and at the organization that provided the ICT for the Avebe group.BurnoutButrealitycaughtupwithme.Whenyoumakeweeksof60,70or even80hoursformanyyears(andalsoplayinabandthatgives2or 3performancesaweek),youwillwakeupwithanobviousburnout. Later,"ifIwerethere",Iwoulddosomethingaboutrelaxation. MarriagemeanwhileruinedandadeparturetoNewZealandseemed theonlywayout.Wrongofcourse,becauseyoujusttakeyourself, andthereforetheproblem,withyou.InNewZealandIfirstworked asanemployeeinfruitcultivationandthendevelopedandprovided trainingforhelpdeskemployeesasateacher.Butitwasallnot enough and so I returned to the Netherlands at the end of 2001.BackintheNetherlandsIhadtostartalloveragain,firsttogetridof theburnout.Thattookmeaboutsixyears,withorwithoutthehelp oftheauthoritiesinvolved.Iendedupinaguesthouseinthevillage of Noordscheschut, a place that is adjacent to Hoogeveen.Tokeepmyselfbusy,Idecidedtodovolunteerwork.TheICT,no,that wasnolongerforme.BeforeIknewit,Iwouldendupinaburnout again and I wanted to avoid that at all costs.Then maybe caretaking...?That'showIendedupatanorganizationforwhichIwentoutwith clientsonSaturdays.Thesewerechildrenwithautismand intellectualdisabilities.Althoughthiswasaverydifferentbranchof sport than ICT, I soon felt at home in it - and useful again.Asaresult,IdecidedtofollowatrainingSPW(SocialPedagogical Employee),atrainingthatwouldlasttwoyears.Unfortunately,the burnoutstillbotheredmeanddueto,amongotherthings, concentrationproblems,Ihadtogiveupagainafterayear.Very unfortunatebecauseIhadalreadycompletedthenecessary internshipandhaddoneholidayworkinthisareaanumberoftimes. AndsotakeiteasyagainandstartthinkingaboutwhatIcouldand couldn't do again.A new opportunity presents itself...In2012,anewunexpectedoptionpresenteditself.Itwaswellknown inourfamilythatmygrandfatherhadsailedandhadonce experiencedanadventureinSpain.Nodetails,becauseGrandpa never told me about it.Butthatyearmyauntinformedmethatshehadfoundadiaryofher father.ThatdiarycontainedhisentireadventureinSpain.Itturned outthatin1937hehadhelpedsmuggleweaponsfromPolandto SpainduringtheSpanishCivilWar(1936-39).Thatadventurehad notgonewell.HisshipwassunkoffthecoastofSpainandthecrew spenttwomonthsinprison.Poorconditionsandanalmostdaily threat of execution.Whilereadingthediary,Igottheideatousethediarytowritea historicalnovel.Titled"JourneytotheSpanishCivilWar",thefirst editionwaspublishedattheendof2014.Inordertowritethatbook, Ihadtodothenecessaryresearch.Afterall,adiaryofthirtypagesis not a complete story.Whatstartedwithreadingthediaryhasnowgrownintoatrue passionfortheSpanishCivilWarandeverythingthathastodowith it.Ithasalsoledtomegivinglecturesandguestlecturesabout Grandpa'sstoryandthatcivilwar.Thereasonwastheinvitationto tellGrandpa'sstoryduringacommemorationofthefoundationthat organizesanannualcommemorationinAmsterdam.Ithasnowbeen donemorethansixtytimesthroughouttheNetherlandsandfora wide range of audiences.InrecentyearsIhavealsobeeninvolvedinothersubjects,suchas researchfortheformerCampWesterbork.Inaddition,Iwasactive forayearforafoundationthatdealswithvictimsofdictatorships. ThatfoundationisamemberofaEuropeanorganizationandforthat organization I also did research for books that they publish.And how is it going now...?IhavebeenmarriedtoEllenforafewyearsnowandwelivetogether in the town of Vries in the top of Drenthe.Aftermyfirsthistoricalnovel'JourneytotheSpanishCivilWar', EllenandIwrotethesecondhistoricalnoveltogether:'LaBatuta' andrecentlythethirdsawthelightofday:'Fernando'.Justclickon thetitlesaboveorlookunderthe'Ournovels'tab.Wehavenoweven started on the next one: 'Addy'. In short, things are going well for both of us...