Too good to be camp

House of Bassie
We recently executed a deed for a buyer who, as he himself described it, had bought " Bassie's house ," right across the Oosthavenkade from us. We were reminded of this last Sunday while watching the television program Zomergasten (Summer Guests).

Hans Klok pen
Due to the pandemic, clients who come to our office to sign a notarial deed are often given a promotional pen with our logo. The notary often tells them it's a "Hans Klok pen" and that they shouldn't—very obviously—press the button on the top of the pen, but rather turn the bottom to write with it. It's like a magic trick.

Bonnie St. Claire
A few years ago, on a cold winter morning, Viola Holt and Bonnie St. Claire, accompanied by a whole film crew, knocked on our notary's front window unannounced and brazenly filmed inside. Bonnie was clearly in a state of shock at this early hour. They were filming a reality show about Viola, who had lived in our notary's house as a child with her father, sports journalist Ad van Emmenes.

VPRO's Summer Guests
On Sunday, August 22nd, we watched the VPRO program Zomergasten (Summer Guests), featuring illusionist Hans Klok. Back when Zomergasten was still presented by Peter van Ingen, with prominent guests like Prof. Dr. ACR Dreesmann and his superfast reading method , and Mr. GBJ Hiltermann, who used a winch to travel from one naval vessel to another above the ocean waves, we were huge fans of this program. That feeling had waned somewhat in recent years. On Sunday evening, it was fully reinvigorated. Perhaps because of our own personal observations and associations, but mainly because of the engaging guest who curated a full-length program.

Wise and sympathetic
We were touched by Klok's wise and true statements on Zomergasten, such as, " There's a lot to be thankful for, but people sometimes don't want to see it. " Or, as Henk van der Meijden once said to him: " Image is what you're not ." We were struck by the down-to-earth, sincere, optimistic, and resilient illusionist who, in the world of Las Vegas with all its glitz and glamour, has managed to stay so true to himself and show us that things aren't always what they seem. We were impressed by the uncanny lightness with which this talented and passionate professional, buoyed by his faith in God and a safe and happy childhood, manages to keep going in good spirits after setbacks, always recovering courageously and continuing to invest in himself, his business, the valuable acts, and the future, with the beckoning prospect of a swimming pool, with a house to match, somewhere in the Spanish sun.

Beautiful stage
Hans Klok genuinely and skillfully captured the sympathy of the many generally (semi-)intellectual VPRO viewers when, entirely voluntarily, he offered fellow artists from throughout the years a wonderful platform for this television evening. He lovingly illustrated, both visually and verbally, and without negative judgment, how they managed to give direction to their sometimes difficult lives.

The transience of fame and the potential for resurrection
Thus we saw and heard a young and beautiful Bonnie St. Claire, with her whole life ahead of her, singing alluringly, and Klok, in passing, altruistically praised her recently published book: " A Woman Came to the Liquor Store " and lovingly encouraged her.

And we saw a clip of The Crockson Brothers, two strong, handsome men, doing incredibly skillful handstands on tilted chairs propped up by the necks of empty champagne bottles. Once safely downstairs, they told interviewer Tineke de Nooij they were getting too old for such daredevil stunts and that they were going to come up with something else. " A comedian can be old ," said one of the brothers – by then we'd recognized Bassie and Adriaan.

Then the thematic penny dropped for us too. Life as a balancing act. The fleeting nature of fame and the potential for resurrection. Not always easy, but doable for those who dare, train hard, work hard, and don't give up. With compassion for those who have the courage to embrace change, even when they don't yet know what it will bring or when change is difficult and challenging. And as we often see in our notary practice, sometimes life is simply a struggle.

Life captured in a single still image
Life in a single still image, beautifully captured by the beautiful and sincere brand that Hans Klok creates for the audience. In our opinion, the best (summer) guest(s) of this season. Too good to be camp.