De Alchemische Bruiloft van Christiaan Rozenkruis artikelen tijdschrift Penta...stichtingrozenkruis
De Alchemische Bruiloft: Een thuiskomst zonder einde
Tot zeven maal toe wordt een koord neegelaten om de mensheid uit de donkere put op te trekken. De kandidaat moet met zijn gewicht zeven gewichten weerstaan, zeven schepen die zeven vlammen tonen, varen over het meer, en dit alles voltrekt zich binnen zeven dagen en nachten. Hoe het bruiloftskleed geweven wordt.
De Alchemische Bruiloft van Christiaan Rozenkruis artikelen tijdschrift Penta...stichtingrozenkruis
De Alchemische Bruiloft: Een thuiskomst zonder einde
Tot zeven maal toe wordt een koord neegelaten om de mensheid uit de donkere put op te trekken. De kandidaat moet met zijn gewicht zeven gewichten weerstaan, zeven schepen die zeven vlammen tonen, varen over het meer, en dit alles voltrekt zich binnen zeven dagen en nachten. Hoe het bruiloftskleed geweven wordt.
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
If you think managing projects is too difficult, think again.
We’ve stripped back project management processes to the
basics – to make it quicker and easier, without sacrificing
the vital ingredients for success.
“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
Dr Andrew Makar, Tactical Project Management
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
If you think managing projects is too difficult, think again.
We’ve stripped back project management processes to the
basics – to make it quicker and easier, without sacrificing
the vital ingredients for success.
“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
Dr Andrew Makar, Tactical Project Management
Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
Blauwe lucht
1. Blauwe lucht Pag 1 van 2 Erik Raeven
Wanneer ik mijn ogen helemaal naar links beweeg zie ik een lapje blauwe lucht. Die is niet zo
verschillend van de lucht waar we zo vaak naar keken vanuit ons zolderkamertje in Leipzig. Die eerste
lente, toen we het kamertje hadden voorzien van een paar schamele meubeltjes, lapte Gisele het
dakraam en merkte op dat de lucht helemaal leeg was. ‘Leeg?’ Ik ging naast haar staan, mijn arm om
haar smalle middel en keek met haar omhoog door de vierkante opening. ‘Als je goed kijkt is het
blauw niet leeg maar vol schakeringen, intonaties en reflecties. Soms kan je er zelfs sterren in
ontdekken.’ Ik trok haar dichter tegen me aan. ‘De hemel is het canvas waarop God iedere dag
nieuwe beelden schildert. Dichters putten er inspiratie uit voor hun liefdesgedichten en geliefden
vinden er elkaar in terug.’ ‘O ja? Hoe dan?’ had Gisele plagerig gevraagd. ‘Wat God ook op zijn canvas
penseelt,’ antwoordde ik met mijn hoofd ver in mijn hals, ‘als jij ernaar kijkt zie ik het ook, al zijn we
even niet samen. Het volstaat dat we opkijken en in Zijn werk weten we elkaars aanwezigheid.’
Gisele had haar hoofd tegen mijn schouder laten rusten. Toen even later een wolkje het vierkant
indreef, had ze lachend uitgeroepen: ‘Hij is aan het schilderen gegaan!’
Als ik gewoon recht voor mij uit kijk, zijn daar zijn ogen. Ik lees er de vertwijfeling in die
ongetwijfeld ook in mijn ogen woont. Ik ken zijn naam niet, weet niet of hij thuis een meisje heeft dat
op hem wacht of een moeder die vruchteloos zal uitkijken naar zijn volgende brief. In zijn ogen zijn er
ook vragen, niet alleen het waarom van zijn onvermijdelijke sterven, maar ook waarom ik niet heb
gedaan wat ik had kunnen doen, wat ik had moeten doen en wat iedere andere soldaat misschien
had gedaan op dat beslissende moment toen ik over hem heen gebogen stond.
Onze aanval werd uiteengereten toen een mortiergranaat zowat bovenop ons ontplofte.
Schreeuwend gleed ik in een krater die vol water stond en moeizaam trok ik mezelf uit het slijk om
het op een lopen te zetten, in de richting die mijn angst me ingaf. Geen schimmen doken op uit de
mist, Ik ontmoette geen vijanden, alleen het onweer dat de stem van de oorlog was woedde om mij
heen. Met koud staal in mijn handen waadde ik door de kapotgeschoten wereld, me bewust van
iedere seconde leven die hier ontstolen was aan de dood. Tot de modder ineens uit de bodem leek
op te rijzen en ik voorover in een diepe put viel.
De muur van zandzakken deed mijn hart opleven, ik was terug bij mijn kameraden beland, op mijn
punt van vertrek. Even voelde deze sombere, uit de zwarte aarde geschepte gang als thuis. Maar de
angst keerde ijlings terug toen ik overeind krabbelde. Er waren geen houten planken onder mijn
knieën, de bodem was zompig en nat. Dit was geen Duitse loopgraaf.
De mist had zich samen met mij in de tranchee neergelaten, alsof hij de lelijkheid ervan wilde
bedekken. Ik verbeeldde me dat hij me verborg, me in bescherming nam. Met de bajonet voor mij uit
kwam ik in beweging. Rondde omzichtig een bocht, zag achtergebleven spullen, een leeg blik, een
spade, een stuk prikkeldraad. Ik sloop langs zwart-witte bloemen aan een roestige spijker, een ruiker,
van zijn bruid gescheiden. Ik vatte weer wat moed, de loopgraaf leek verlaten.
Achter de volgende bocht struikelde ik over de soldaat. Op zijn rechterzij, rug tegen de zandzakken,
lag hij half weggezakt in het water. Ik herkende de blauwe jas van de Belgen. Zijn ogen keken op naar
mij, smekend. Het gezicht onder de smurrie was jong, in zijn haar had het vieze water blonde pieken
gewassen. Mijn bajonet wees onzeker naar zijn borst, ik zocht in het puin van mijn geest naar moed
en volharding. In plaats daarvan vond ik een gedachte, helder als de lichtflitsen die de horizon
hadden gekleurd op onze geforceerde marsen. Niet deze jongen was de vijand, nee. Het was dat
donkere, van water doortrokken uniform, dat symbool van een kant die anderen voor ons hadden
2. Blauwe lucht Pag 2 van 2 Erik Raeven
gekozen, die identiteit van een volk waarin iedereen zichzelf als individu was kwijtgeraakt. Hijgend,
plotseling barstensvol van dat nieuwe begrip, wilde ik het uniform van hem losrukken, hem helpen in
dit leven te blijven dat voor hem even waardevol moest zijn als voor mij. Te laat hoorde ik het geplas
achter mij, te laat scheurde ik me weg uit mijn denkwereld die niet verenigbaar was met het
ondenkbare om mij heen. Mijn rug vlamde op toen het staal in mij binnendrong. Alles kantelde.
Kon ik me maar bewegen. Dichter naar die vreemde, om te proberen met wat er overblijft van onze
lichaamswarmte iets van de kou te verdrijven. In de tijd dat ik hier lig – hoe lang? – is de stem van de
oorlog tot bedaren gekomen en de lucht opgeklaard. Dat is goed, want nu kan ik Gisele opzoeken en
haar vertellen wat er is gebeurd. Ik vertel haar dat zijn ogen mijn eigen droefheid spiegelen. Het zijn
stemmige, ronde ogen die mij doen denken aan een kind. Hij is geen kind meer, maar het leven had
nog niet de gelegenheid om hem hard te raken, deze jongen, voor hij trots en met moedige glimlach
van huis ging om onze troepen tot omkeren te dwingen. Ik vraag Gisele of ze boos is, of
teleurgesteld. Had ik een held moeten zijn en mijn bajonet in de borst van de jongen ploffen om mij
dan om te keren en mijn belager te doden voor hij mij kon doden, vraag ik haar. Dan zou ik nu
onderweg zijn. Door dit land van onbegraven doden, door de lelijkheid die dan aan mij zou hebben
gekleefd en zelfs mijn binnenkant zou hebben besmeurd. Dan zou ik de oorlog hebben ingehaald om
nog meer heldendaden te verrichten.
Kou heeft mijn bloed vervangen, mijn hart pompt dikke, stroperige kou door mijn lijf. Ik vertel
Gisele dat ze niet verdrietig moet zijn. Ik ben tenslotte niet alleen om te sterven. Mijn onbekende
vriend en ik zullen samen uit deze loopgraaf vertrekken. Ik wissel een blik van verstandhouding met
de jongen. Ook als in Gods paradijs nog talen bestaan zullen we elkaar begrijpen. Victor Hugo leerde
mij het Frans en net als voor Virginie Loveling zijn voor mij Vlaams en Duits grenzeloos.
Ik verlaat even zijn ogen, heel even maar, om terug te keren naar Gisele. Vanuit het blauw kijk ik
neer op de wereld en zie haar staan, haar bleke gezichtje opgeheven naar de vierkante glasplaat,
haar handen verstrengeld, misschien in gebed. Mijn eigen handen zullen haar nooit meer aanraken,
haar nooit meer een kus toewerpen. Ik ben ze kwijt, mijn handen, ze horen tot het stuk van mezelf
dat in de loopgraaf achterblijft bij de spulletjes, de rommel, de bruidsruiker.
Wanneer ik naar hem terugkeer zijn zijn ogen dof, gebroken. Ik voel mij verraden onder de starre
blik waaruit het leven is geweken. Boven mij wordt het blauw gesmoord in donker.
Boven mij is de lucht leeg.