The Zero Vote

Have you ever heard of a ‘zero vote’?

No, it’s got nothing to do with elections, which might well be the obvious conclusion in an article by a local councillor. I only learnt what a ‘zero vote’ is last Thursday. And I’ll never forget it.

Last Thursday morning, I was a guest at OBS Berg en Bos to read aloud to the nursery children. I always enjoy it to the full. The spontaneous reactions, the unfiltered enthusiasm, the total immersion in a story: I find it so lovely. I always leave feeling absolutely delighted.

The children were well prepared for the mayor’s visit. They already knew that my main job is to welcome Sinterklaas. And that’s exactly right.

The children had also come up with some questions for me. These ranged from “What’s your favourite food?” (stamppot in winter and Italian food in summer) to ”Which sport do you like best?” (football). And yes, this was often accompanied by that wonderful nursery-school enthusiasm, complete with the accompanying decibels.

And then the teacher said: ‘Dear children, let’s do the ’zero’ voice again.’

And it was quiet. The volume was set to zero.

Brilliant. Can we roll this out everywhere? And preferably on social media?

Amidst a flurry of loud opinions, just a short message: “Right. And now back to the zero vote.” And that’s it.

And sometimes you need to say it to yourself, too. If you’re worrying about something you can’t do anything about, but which is still getting you worked up: “Just give it a ”zero’ vote.”

Thank you so much, pupils and teachers at OBS Berg en Bos. I’m all set for a while now.

Ton Heerts