Wednesday, May 12, 2010

My favourite boot

Big boy is looking out the window. He is a bit scared, he hears a distant noise of thunders. Sometimes I hear the sound of my thoughts and when they are too loud or confused, I turn off the brain and try to relax. I'm done with my job for today. I have everything I need: my notes, a logical path to follow, two interesting books. I'm wondering if these contemporary Italian authors have been translated in English. Probably no and it's a shame. As I mentioned, Italian culture is still very rich in terms of authors, cinema and music and I don't understand why so many people don't realize this simple fact. Italy is corrupted but by no means is "ignorant" (well, Berlusconi's supporters are ignorant and it seems they are the majority of the country but I'm thinking about my country as a per se entity with emotions, soul and history). Italy is brillant and creative. She -Italy must be a woman, I'm sure- lives at the Empire's perimeters: influenced by American culture (the "empire") and shaped by European ways of thinking but always amazingly provincial. Her strenght is being provincial, I like it because within her long, narrow and boot shaped body there is a whole variety of dialects, food, accents, wines, ruines, local peculiarties which made me love her to death. I fell in love with this boot when I was a kid. Listening to my grandparents' dialect, eating focaccia in Tuscany and polenta in Piedmont, reading Dante, Leopardi, Manzoni, watching Mastroianni and Sofia Loren. The boot is not big but there are lots of things in it. Growing up in such a chaos of dialects, accents, expressions, surrounded by art and beauty, nourished by her delicious gifts (fresh vegetables and fruits) is wonderful. Oh yes, this boot fits me well. I couldn't wear another one despite the fact that looks very old and sometimes I would like to live in a brand new "boot". I can't help it: I like vintage.

ps. By the way, this is post #100.

2 comments:

  1. auguri, 1000 di questi posts :-)

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  2. Well, first, hooray! You made it to 100 posts and I'm sooo glad you're still here and writing!

    I'm glad that you love your country so much. It does have such diversity (especially the food and the dialects). As you know, I love this country too :-)

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