DATES 2
Excerpt uit: 'A Day in the Life interspaced with
Reminiscences' (never-ending essay)
Barbara Jean
Gustaaf and I departed in 1968 on the s.s. Nieuw Amsterdam,
an art nouveau designed ocean liner. He was an immigrant, I
returning: together our new life. Symbolically, it was the last
transatlantic voyage of the Holland-America Line. Tabula Rasa?
Dramatic departure: 00.00 hours from Rotterdam. Spotlights/
Highlights. N-e-v-e-r to return. Two years later we were back -
'temporarily'. Still here.
We looked like 19th century romantics in our fancy (velvet, fur
coats - hippie attire clothes and The steamer trunk.) A begin
ning- a new life. During this voyage 1 had hoped that our child
would be born. Despite dancing in the disco and outrageous
November storms Dylan was born shortly after our arrival in
the States. He could be president.
We were informed only 3 days before the departure. There was
a problem with Gustaaf's immigration papers due to his left-
wing sympathies, convictions such as not valuing war as an
instrument of peace. As an emigrant he received 'spending
money' for the trip. It came in handy but we blew it in the
ship's library listening to a creaking (because of the storms)
radio amongst other anxious/interested people of all convic
tions awaiting the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections (a
sub theme of our trip - a highly charged topic). Thinking that
Humphrey had won, a victory for the left, we treated everyone
there for a drink. Approximately half an hour later the electoral
results of the States New York and California came in. Nixon's
victory - it was a close presidential election - in votes. 21 It
marked the establishment of the right and signified the policy
in the years to come. Hubert Humphrey was senator for years
and years in Minnesota, a democrat. He was vice President
under Lyndon Johnson from 1964-1968. He was a pharmacist
originally; my uncle Bernie Berg studied with him. Eugene
McCarthy (1916-2005), also a senator from Minnesota was a