in
‘Whereas others buy a nice car during their midlife crisis, I still think I will become a famous drummer. My dream is mainly to still play in the band with the Stones. I play in different band formations, spend a lot of time on band meetings and rehearsals and perform all over the country every weekend and sometimes during the week. Even though I’m dead tired, it makes me happy and it gives me energy.
“My other job is just work, that’s how I earn my money, because I can’t make ends meet from just being a drummer. I have therefore been working as an interim manager in the social domain for fifteen years at various municipal services. For example, with organizations that deal with the Social Support Act, people on benefits or youth care.
“My mother is Moluccan and grew up in a camp, my father was in a boarding school. When I was born my parents didn’t even have a house and during my childhood we didn’t have much. Yet from an early age I learned from them that directing your life lies mainly with yourself. On perseverance I finished the gymnasium and started studying law. I was well aware that I had a different background than many of my fellow students who lived in large villas. That gave me a bit of an inferiority complex, so I can be prouder now when I work as a manager at municipalities.”
out
‘My mother counted her money every day, because it wasn’t much, she was very conscious of it. I took that from her. Although we now spend a lot of money on groceries, for example, that is something I consciously factor in. Since I became a widower fifteen years ago, I enjoy life more because I realize better what I have: I like to drum, I now have a nice family and a good job. I therefore reserve a budget for groceries and going out for dinner every week, because I think those moments with my family are so important. And because I approach it that way, I don’t think I could end up in debt counseling so quickly.
“I do realize that I have a good income. We easily pick up pizzas or a chicken a few times a week, spend a lot at the greengrocer and I spend quite a bit on clothes every month, while everything has become so much more expensive. I think it’s great how others with a tighter purse are doing this in this time.
“I have been living in Rotterdam with my current wife and our son for twelve years, but I have always kept my house in Amsterdam. At the time the economy was too bad to sell it, now it turns out to be the best decision ever. I can rent it out which provides an extra source of income, maybe my son wants to live there later or maybe I want to go back to Amsterdam myself in the long run. It offers many possibilities.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of June 26, 2023.