Reflection (23-12-22)
Now that the days have become so much shorter, it makes sense to reflect on last year. What has 2022 brought? What can we learn from it? Relative for sure. A fairly long stay in the hospital, the theft of my pigeons and the death of Jan H has had a serious impact.
In your teenage years, time seems to stand still, school days were long back then. Let's not talk about church services.
LATER
Later it goes so fast that you learn that a human life is just a coming and going. For a new year we keep hoping for better, but it only seems to get worse.
Extremists who set fire to foreigners, asylum seekers who can go on holiday by plane at state expense to the country they fled earlier, 'Big Shots' who are fired for non-performance receive millions, while their workers after years faithful labor are, as it were, perish.
Top criminals who go free due to procedural errors, millions of innocents who are deliberately cut off water and electricity by a hostile country, girls who are murdered because they don't wear their headscarves correctly, young people who destroy when their national team wins and who destroy when the team loses and so on sometimes raise the question: 'Who is actually crazy?'
CRIME
By the way, speaking of criminals, crime as we once knew it is a mess. The romance is gone from this business.
Where is the time of the man who painstakingly and without violence succeeded in robbing your house so that you surveyed the disastrous void with a mixture of anger and a little respect?
In my childhood you sometimes encountered such a dark person with a hat and mask who, illuminating with an ordinary flashlight, moved stealthily.And then you knew: There goes a thief, such a small self-employed person. That was endearing!
Today they come in broad daylight and without disguise. They shoot around and ram into the facades of buildings with armored cars.
Full of homesickness, a person then thinks back to that old-fashioned intruder who managed to take your wallet out of your pants while you were snoring quietly. Those were professionals.
TRADE
Many also struggle with the undeserved publicity some receive.Many pigeons entered, few prizes and yet 'in the pigeon press?'Misleading and objectionable.It is hardly possible to earn anything in the races, what does make financial sense is trade in health!If you do everything they recommend you will be at least 150, you start to think.
I don't follow the advice of those 'health makers'. My 100 meters isn't what it used to be and besides, there are statistics you have to respect.I don't feel like looking for medicinal herbs on the side of the road until I'm 150, and I don't want to live to be 150 either.
With 100 I fear to feel lonely among all those youth of 80 or so.For a calm feeling, for sagging breasts, for dry hair, sweaty feet and so on, there are now powders, pills and potions and 'scientifically formulated' too.
In 2022, give your fellow man the illusion that he can no longer be beaten to death if he eats this or that and he is willing to sacrifice his last penny.The credulity of fellow human beings is so great that I consider some capable of wearing a checkered cap if they read somewhere that it increases potency.
PIGEON SPORT
And pigeon sport follows. Disturbing what is being marketed for the 'well-being' of our birds. People use the most fantastic names to make pigeons fly faster. But to people who want to boost their performance through the drinker or the syringe I would say: Watch out! You are all heading towards the same final destination: The disillusionment.
STRANGE WORLD
Today's criminals act differently and are treated differently. After he has beaten some one to death he is immediately surrounded by an army of welfare workers and psychiatrists.
Concerned, they ask him if he was not injured in the crime, if he had an unhappy childhood, if he could be helped, if he is okay with being let go because of a shortage of cells.
There's one thing you shouldn't do in this country: Fool the tax.'Yes', you may think, 'and that is just I can understand'.Do not do it. The state can take a large chunk of your income with impunity, say robbery, you are not allowed to do anything to prevent that.
'CHAMPION'
A strange world also think many pigeon fanciers in a sport in which they are forced to contribute to Olympiads that do not interest them.In which, against their will, they are saddled with an abundance of (long distance) races, in which Belgians have to pay double as much for the same ring as their northern neighbors.
A world in which youngsters in Belgium fly 400 km a week plus four Nationals and fanciers in the Netherlands, fearful as they are for ‘animal protectors’, have to do it with one flight of more than 400 km.
BIT SUN
Clubs are in danger of disappearing and that makes fanciers stop because they have to drive too far to their club houses.
Of the 29,000 fanciers that East Flanders still had in 1980, barely half remained at the turn of the century, now less than 20%.In 2022, recruiting members should not be our goal, but retaining them. For that we have to give everyone their little bit of sun.
Long distance players must respect sprint players and vice versa.Fanciers who enjoy pooling money should not be deprived of the opportunity to do so. We must also stay away from shrinking clubs.
Every week maybe barely 10 people come to basket, drink a pint, talk about pigeons. Leave those clubs alone! If there is a club in a village, there is a chance that others will join.
One cannot join something that is not there. Remediation is good, but let the little fancier have fun in that small club.
AMBIANCE
There is always a good atmosphere in clubs that are thriving. In clubs that are in danger of falling, the opposite is the case.A good atmosphere is important in a business, a football team, a school, a family.
In pigeon sport that has to start in the club. The atmosphere there determines how much fun we get from the sport and which way it will go.
Reflection
Now that the days have become so much shorter, it makes sense to reflect on last year. What has 2022 brought? What can we learn from it?
Relative for sure. A fairly long stay in the hospital, the theft of my pigeons and the death of Jan H has had a serious impact.
In your teenage years, time seems to stand still, school days were long back then. Let's not talk about church services.
LATER
Later it goes so fast that you learn that a human life is just a coming and going.
For a new year we keep hoping for better, but it only seems to get worse.
Extremists who set fire to foreigners, asylum seekers who can go on holiday by plane at state expense to the country they fled earlier, 'Big Shots' who are fired for non-performance receive millions, while their workers after years faithful labor are, as it were, perish.
Top criminals who go free due to procedural errors, millions of innocents who are deliberately cut off water and electricity by a hostile country, girls who are murdered because they don't wear their headscarves correctly, young people who destroy when their national team wins and who destroy when the team loses and so on sometimes raise the question: 'Who is actually crazy?'
CRIME
By the way, speaking of criminals, crime as we once knew it is a mess. The romance is gone from this business.
Where is the time of the man who painstakingly and without violence succeeded in robbing your house so that you surveyed the disastrous void with a mixture of anger and a little respect?
In my childhood you sometimes encountered such a dark person with a hat and mask who, illuminating with an ordinary flashlight, moved stealthily.
And then you knew: There goes a thief, such a small self-employed person.
That was endearing.
Today they come in broad daylight and without disguise. They shoot around and ram into the facades of buildings with armored cars.
Full of homesickness, a person then thinks back to that old-fashioned intruder who managed to take your wallet out of your pants while you were snoring quietly. Those were professionals.
TRADEMany also struggle with the undeserved publicity some receive.Many pigeons entered, few prizes and yet 'in the pigeon press?'Misleading and objectionable.It is hardly possible to earn anything in the races, what does make financial sense is trade in health!If you do everything they recommend you will be at least 150, you start to think.I don't follow the advice of those 'health makers'. My 100 meters isn't what it used to be and besides, there are statistics you have to respect.I don't feel like looking for medicinal herbs on the side of the road until I'm 150, and I don't want to live to be 150 either.With 100 I fear to feel lonely among all those youth of 80 or so.For a calm feeling, for sagging breasts, for dry hair, sweaty feet and so on, there are now powders, pills and potions and 'scientifically formulated' too.In 2022, give your fellow man the illusion that he can no longer be beaten to death if he eats this or that and he is willing to sacrifice his last penny.The credulity of fellow human beings is so great that I consider some capable of wearing a checkered cap if they read somewhere that it increases potency. PIGEON SPORTAnd pigeon sport follows.Disturbing what is being marketed for the 'well-being' of our birds. People use the most fantastic names to make pigeons fly faster. But to people who want to boost their performance through the drinker or the syringe I would say: Watch out! You are all heading towards your final destination: The disillusionment.
STRANGE WORLDToday's criminals act differently and are treated differently. After he has beaten some one to death he is immediately surrounded by an army of welfare workers and psychiatrists. Concerned, they ask him if he was not injured in the crime, if he had an unhappy childhood, if he could be helped, if he is okay with being let go because of a shortage of cells.There's one thing you shouldn't do in this country: Fool the tax.'Yes', you may think, 'and that is just I can understand'.Do not do it. The state can take a large chunk of your income with impunity, say robbery, you are not allowed to do anything to prevent that. 'CHAMPION'A strange world also think many pigeon fanciers in a sport in which they are forced to contribute to Olympiads that do not interest them.In which, against their will, they are saddled with an abundance of (long distance) races, in which Belgians have to pay double as much for the same ring as their northern neighbors. A world in which youngsters in Belgium fly 400 km a week plus four Nationals and fanciers in the Netherlands, fearful as they are for ‘nature protectors’, have to do it with one flight of more than 400 km. BIT SUNClubs are in danger of disappearing and that makes fanciers stop because they have to drive too far to their club houses. Of the 29,000 fanciers that East Flanders still had in 1980, barely half remained at the turn of the century, now less than 20%.In 2022, recruiting members should not be our goal, but retaining them. For that we have to give everyone their little bit of sun. Long distance players must respect sprint players and vice versa.Fanciers who enjoy pooling money should not be deprived of the opportunity to do so. We must also stay away from shrinking clubs.Every week maybe barely 10 people come to basket, drink a pint, talk about pigeons. Leave those clubs alone! If there is a club in a village, there is a chance that others will join. One cannot join something that is not there. Remediation is good, but let the little fancier have fun in that small club. AMBIANCEThere is always a good atmosphere in clubs that are thriving. In clubs that are in danger of falling, the opposite is the case.A good atmosphere is important in a business, a football team, a school, a family.In pigeon sport that has to start in the club. The atmosphere there determines how much fun we get from the sport and which way it will go.
'727' Father of 3 Ace pigeons