If Anita Meyer had wanted, she could have filled her schedule with performances. But she doesn’t anymore. “Over six months ago I made the decision to only do one performance a week,” the singer tells Story. ‘If there’s a request for a second performance, I’ll only do it if it’s really fun. So I’ve become selective in what I do and don’t want to do. Now is the time for that too. I am 68 years old, my partner Martin is the same age and we want to enjoy life more. My voice is still fine. Singing I could technically do several performances a week, but I don’t want to anymore. I have worked very hard for over forty years and have traveled all over the Netherlands. But I no longer have to be on stage somewhere far away at 1 in the morning. That time is behind me. I have seen and experienced it all. Now let me enjoy my new life.’
Time for travel
Anita and Martin love to travel. ‘We are both healthy, which is the most important thing. And this allows us to travel. Outside of Europe, the last couple of years have been a bit tricky due to the pandemic, but flying isn’t always necessary either. We just as easily get into the car in Berlin or Paris. It may be just the two of us, but we also like to book a city trip with friends. For years it was not possible for me. Work always came first. And that suited me at the time. I like to sing. Yet. But now we are physically able to travel and we have the time.’
No fixed pace
Anita has now been with her current partner Martin for longer than she was with her ex-husband Ton de Leeuwe. She has been together with Ton for eighteen years and has been in a relationship with Martin for twenty years. ‘We are very good together. We both have busy lives and we liberate each other. During the day we are actually always busy for ourselves. And in the evening we are together. It works very well. It’s not like we spend every day together. Martin still has his house. He is there regularly because he also has his office there. If he needs more time to complete his work, he sleeps there too. We don’t have a fixed pace in this. It comes as it comes. We enjoy the little things in life. This also has to do with aging; that you like more what is happening around you. That’s why I’m really happy with my decision not to perform so much anymore. It’s nice to take a selective look at what I do and don’t want. It also means that I say ‘no’ to a lot of people.’
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