My fantasy. by Toine van Steen

My fantasy. by Toine van Steen

This is a fantasy. My own fantasy. When I look at this I see a stranger in a place where he or she does not feel at home. It is not right. I should lie in the sand and swim in the sea. But not on a dead sunflower. This is also the feeling of people who do not feel at home somewhere. A Westerner entering a mosque might feel weird. A feeling of not being welcome. Perhaps people would think about what the stranger is doing here. But what if that stranger is a Muslim. Then things are different. But how can those people know this? A little bit of communication and a little less prejudice, and then it all comes together. This would also be the case if a woman in a burqa were to enter a church. For me, it’s about the silent prejudice. Judging first and then asking questions in the wrong order. My advice is to ask first and not prejudices. In this world of communication via WhatsApp or text message, or Email, I miss human contact. Instead of calling me, my son sends me a WhatsApp. That is faster, he says. But I can just misinterpret or misunderstand a short message. And then I have to send a message back. So I don’t do that anymore, I just call him back and ask what he means or what he wants. I miss a normal conversation now, just say something to each other. There is also feeling in it, not in a message on the phone. See you next time.

Toine van Steen: Photos