If you've read the previous, my choice of profession should be obvious. A teacher on the elementary school. I taught children from 6 to 9. This group is still for the most part centered in their emotions. That was the group I could reach best, because I'm rather an emotional being although spiritual teaching is my favorite. I became a teacher of the elementary school and stayed that for 25 years. In the early years it was still a 'temp' job and so I was able to take a half year "sabbatical" and went to 'The School of the Wisdom' in India as mentioned before. During a 'break' of the sessions I went with a married couple from New Zealand to the "Nilgiris" — The blue mountains — where the temperature was much cooler. The Theosophical Society owned a few cottages in Kotagiri. The caretaker, who was also cook had a daughter who told her father as soon as our reservation letter arrived: "I'm going to marry that boy". I was 28 then. During our stay that daughter showed us around in the famous gardens of Ootacamond, also called Ooti. There, next to a beautiful flowerbed in the shape of India, the New Zealand people  took a photo of the girl and me. After two weeks we went back to Adyar, Madras (Chennai). The New Year's celebration was at hand. Many people from all over the country came and the Society needed all their cooks. So also the cook from Kotagiri came. He approached me and said: "My daughter wants a photo of you". His English was not flawless because he meant: "My daughter wants the picture of us both taken at the Ooti garden". But he didn't, so I gave him a photo of me. He accepted that and went. Well, that started me thinking. I was at an age that the idea of marriage became appealing to me. In India at that time it was not possible to date a girl. Especially in South India all marriages were fixed, arranged by the parents. So I decided to write a letter and I asked 'The Powers that be', to let it arrive only if it is the Will of God that this union should occur. The letter arrived, but the next one I sent did not. Then I was sure; and to make a long story short¾we married. However there were quite some challenges to overcome before she arrived in Holland.

I learned the hard way about the protective power of Talismans. When my wife arrived from India she wore a plastic ring with an image of Mother Mary. Now I know what a magnificent, compassionate and loving Being She is, but at the time I had an aversion against all "church things." I asked her to put it off, but she stressed that it was given to her for protection and she had to wear it all the time. So I was silent, but not pleased. I wished it was gone. One day when we were on the beach the ring snapped and she lost the image. She was devastated and I was 'happy'. Now the protection was gone and she was attacked by all kind of "astral forces" which created a nasty atmosphere and kept us from sleep. Now I had to protect her and bought a small brass cross, which she used to beat the specters she saw. However the main work was asking for help from the higher beings of Light, because I didn't know about the Violet Fire at that time. It was a long and arduous process, which made my wife and me stronger. Finally we came out of it in peace. I will never mock a talisman again.

We got two children a daughter and a son. I always wanted a daughter, because I grew up without sisters. But it turned out that I became much closer with my son.

The early years of teaching the "little ones" at school were wonderful and rewarding and we had a great time with a lot of fun. One day I decided to try some visualizations with them ¾ the nine years old. For example: "Close your eyes and imagine yourself standing on the desk and shrinking till a few inches tall. Go sit on your pencil and now it starts to float. Fly now through the classroom and avoid colliding into the others. Most of them were thrilled; some of them were not able to visualize. Another time I made a thoughtform in the middle of the class and the children had to write it down when they could see it in their imagination, but guessing was not allowed. That was challenging for them. Only one child saw it right. Some others picked up the thoughtforms of other children. It was a public school with no Christian teaching so some of them had no idea of the concept of angels with was my next thoughtform. A golden angel with fiery wings. The same kid described that he saw: "sunlight through an open window". That was a beautiful translation of the 'golden angel'. Well I couldn't do these visualizations often, because of the reaction of the parents and teachers, but the experiments were promising.

My marriage did not go well and we grew apart. One time my wife told me that she tried to drown herself in the river on walking distance from our home, but she was stopped she said by little white etheric figures who came out of the water and pushed her back. Three times she tried to immerse herself in the water and three times she was pushed back. Then she decided to return. The white figures who emerged from the water were 'undines', elements of the water and till up to this day my love for them have no bounds. I am so grateful to them for saving my wife's life.  Another time I woke up in the middle of the night. I could hardly breathe and felt drained away in a vortex of malicious and filthy energy. I did not cause this repulsive energy, so I thought what could this be? Immediately my attention was directed to my wife who slept in a different room. I jumped  out of bed rushed to her room, where I found her with a handful of sleeping pills ready to commit suicide. I noticed the relief on her face when she saw me enter and asked: "How did you know"? I told her my experience. Some time later I had the same experience but milder. I decided to let her work this one out herself. Later she told me that she was no longer intended to take her life, but to divorce. I commended her for that brave decision.

When I grew older the energy of the children became too much for me and I was quick tired. One day it became too much. One morning I tried to come out of bed and the entire room was swaying. I fell back on the bed and called in sick. That was the beginning of a burnout, which lasted for several years.  I had to take a physical and psychological examination by default in my profession. It included a IQ test that turned out 133. Nevertheless I felt a "looser." Why did this happen to me? Later I realized that it was OK; I had done my best and it was time for a break. I also noticed that 'burn outs' happened in every profession even a car salesman. Then I was fine again. After three years I tried again. It was a different location with again 9 years old children.