Richard Detrich’s Boquete, Panama Weblog

It’s funny how the little choices you make in life end up having big consequences you could never have imagined.

I was a seminary student in Holland, Michigan and tired of dorm living.  Three of us had rented a summer cottage on Lake Michigan and as soon as the weather turned cold we were frozen out.  I found an apartment in the basement of a home on Lake Macatawa.  It was owned by a woman whose family owned the bank in nearby Zeeland, Michigan.  She was widowed, and like many wealthy widows back in the 60’s, every year took the world cruise on the ROTTERDAM V.  She wanted someone to keep an eye on her home while she was gone, hence the basement apartment usually filled by seminarians.

So I moved in.  Aside from having a spectacular view of Lake Macatawa, one of the great fringe benefits for a starving student was that occassionally Mrs. Den Herder would invite me up for dinner.  She had these fantastic aged steaks and would serve them with Cold Duck and regale me with stories of life on the ROTTERDAM.  When I graduated she told me that the Holland America ships had chaplains and that I should apply.  I did and my first cruise as chaplain for Holland America was on the ROTTERDAM V [what we call today the "old ROTTERDAM].  I discovered Holland America and the  wonderful world of cruising which has taken me all over the world!  And now some 200 cruises later . . . (I’ve stopped counting) . . . here I am, off at sea, this time on the VOLENDAM.

When I graduated Mrs. Den Herder also gave me 1000 shares of bank stock.   Through the years that stock split and split and split and helped finance many wonderful things in my life.  I’d always keep a few shares for sentimental reasons and not think about it . . . and then, when I needed it, it would have multiplied.  Last year I finally sold the last of the bank stock.

So thank you Mrs. Den Herder.

And it all started by renting an apartment!