JUST IS A FLU VIRUS
“Yippee yay, I graduated!” Like a madman, I stormed into a room after my graduation. I finally graduated. And it didn't come easy, nope. The revolution was a small one. But do you know what my grade was? A nine. A NINE. Well, that's pretty grand. in graduation land. And that was because my thesis was ruthlessly good. There, I said it. But what did the room say? This: “Uh, but why were you even worried about the defense, a bit exaggerated, huh?” Okay, okay, okay. So if you get such a grade, then a. you shouldn't even look nervous and b. you should especially keep your mouth shut about the result.
Just be normal, then you're already acting crazy enough and hiding with that stuff in the ground level. I find these the killjoys, the I-help-you-ruin-your-glorious-moment scoundrels and the biggest pants droppers on earth. Why then? Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with just being normal and average, but I cheer just as hard for crazy and outstanding. What is normal, why does it have to be just normal and what is going on with our country that this prevails here? It’s a stubborn Dutch flu virus and it spreads randomly.
Just for fun, type ‘just be normal, then you’re already acting crazy enough’ into Google. Do you know what pops up? The site Stuff Dutch People Like. Yes, we are known for our no-nonsense, being normal and especially not bragging about your success. But seriously people, can we not be proud of what we do or achieve? I find that modesty sometimes such a waste of the struggles you went through to achieve something beautiful.
It’s in the Dutch national character. Mom and dad teach you the skills of being normal, the popular boys in class drill it into you at the basics, and the boss doesn’t really appreciate your silly dance in the office garden either. Actually, that being normal is a uniformity. You don’t want that, do you? Oh yes, because let’s just be normal, people. It’s our Calvinistic nature, the great desire not to stand out. Normal is the norm.
I advocate for normal and extravagant. Do you want to cruise through Amsterdam dressed in orange feathers with a golden dotted pants on your bright purple bike? Be my guest, I’ll applaud you along the canals. Are you already jumping and screaming on the table celebrating that hallelujah promotion? You go girl, film it and put it on your Insta Stories. Are you walking down the street dressed in gray because you don’t feel like all that fuss? Totally okay, nice to see your calm self wandering around. Are you shouting from the rooftops what an unbelievable blast your week was? I’ll bring the confetti and glitter to sprinkle that off the roof with you, you lovely paradise bird. There, and now everyone just stop being normal for a moment.
