Every (good) story begins with… Long, long ago in a land far, far away. And that is why I am starting this story differently. Not so long ago, there were three men: a walker, a long jumper, and a bartender. They had met at the bar in a smoky bar. They had fallen a little quiet when the jukebox in the corner, just a bit too loud and crackly besides, screamed out ‘We are the champions’ by Queen. A group of thirty-somethings stood singing along loudly.
They had looked at each other. Without asking, the walker had had a beer placed in front of the long jumper. At least then he had done something friendly today. The long jumper had looked at him briefly and raised his glass. The long jumper nodded. He nodded back. They took a big gulp from the glass together. They had both had a little white moustache for a moment. The long jumper had looked over his shoulder at the group of thirty-somethings by the jukebox. ‘Champions my ass,’ he said a little too loudly. He hadn't felt like a champion in ages. The walker responded by raising his glass and shouting "Champions my ass" at the top of his lungs, knocking back the rest of his pint, and slamming the glass hard on the bar. "Well, well, does it have to be that hard?" the bartender had called out. And so began the conversation between three men, about walking, long jump, and champions.
The group of thirty-somethings had paid the bill and left for the next pub. The walker—the philosopher of the three—wondered why there is always one in his group who absolutely had to put on a pink bunny suit… that will come up again in another story sometime. Anyway, let's move on. A walker, a long jumper, and a bartender.
The bartender had sort of stumbled into the trade. After trying out a few different jobs, he had finally taken over his father's business. And when his dad moved to the retirement home, he had moved into the upstairs apartment. Much more convenient, nice and close by. He was closed only on Mondays; then he invariably went to the wholesaler and, in the afternoon, to the sauna. Every week. Something very extraordinary would have to happen for him not to go to the sauna. He never wondered if he would ever want to do something else. It was fine the way it was. All those people with careers, with haste and worries. No, that wasn't for him. He would have liked to visit his brother in America, but it never came to fruition.
The long jump had a clear goal: 8 meters and 30 centimeters. Preferably a little further. Now he had a minor injury and had to rest; he hardly ever went to a pub. He had been drawn in by the sign standing outside. Homemade meatball sandwich, it said. After months of training and a strict diet, he had treated himself to this indulgence. The big competition was in a few months. He would be completely ready for it. Not an ounce of fat on his body, toned, sharp, and focused. He had worked towards this, ever since he was a young man. This was his dream. Pushing just a little further than Ignisious Gaisah. He must be nervous, because the run-up, but certainly the take-off, is everything. Once high in the air, he would throw his arms and legs forward to hopefully land where he had been looking forward to for so long: being the Champion of the Netherlands.
The walker had been listening breathlessly to the long jumper's story. He had been amazed. All that work, all that training for that one moment. He wouldn't dare jump anymore, he thought. Imagine if you take off just wrong. You'd trained all those months for nothing. But no, he had simply bought a pair of good shoes, a small backpack, and a pair of those extendable walking sticks. Nothing else. He just set off. Sure, he had a plan, but if he came across an interesting side road, he would just take it. See where it leads. That is how it sometimes happened that he ended up somewhere completely different. The walker had no problem with that at all; surely he had seen beautiful new things, taken paths he had never been on before?
Suddenly, a bachelor in a pink bunny costume runs into the pub…
I’m getting married! He shouts.
Friends drag the bunny back outside.
On to the next pub.