“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times”. No, that’s not right.
“Four score and seven years ago”. Nope.
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth”. DEFINITELY not.
What to write? What to say? I feel like I’ve said everything. I feel like I’ve expressed every sentiment and touched upon every conceivable topic. I don’t want my final days in Italy to result in blog blather. I supposed I could…try…real…hard…to be erudite and pithy. But my erudition is slumbering and I’ve lost my pith.
I am jazzed to know that the essay I was requested to write will be published online on November 6 by Portraits of an Adoption. Here is the link: http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2015/10/some-adoption-stories-will-make-you-uncomfortable/. Clicking onto “30 Adoption Portraits–2014” will show my first published essay on November 28. I was flattered when Carrie Goldman, founder of this international website personally requested another essay from me. It provided independent validation not only of my story but my writing ability.
Other than that, I find myself doing the typical daily routine–buying groceries, cooking, laundry, writing, job search, exercising. I will be renting a car this weekend to hit some local historic towns. On Sunday I will see my family and charge around the hills to visit more towns with my beloved cousin, Maurizio. Or, as he’s lovingly known, the Angel.
A couple gals I know want to go out for a drink some evening. My former tutors want to have dinner. I suppose I should have spent more time creating relationships while here but travel plans and research responsibilities always seemed to get in the way. Fortunately, there’s always social media to stay in touch with those I have met.
And, in looking over my Friend List on Facebook I see now that I have friends in Ukraine, Russia, Italy and Turkey. As I peruse blog visits I see continuous views from Libya, England and Poland. Not sure who some of these people are, but it’s gratifying. My blog posts have resulted in visits from a large cross-section of nations: the U.S., Italy and Canada (obviously), but also China, India, Iceland, Nigeria, Australia, Switzerland and many others.
Most of these visits have not resulted in continuous views from these countries which is too bad. But, I think that is the nature of social media. Technology has commoditized everything and made relationships and writing transitory and disposable.
But I digress. There’s got to be more to discuss than technology’s impact on us.
I think I’m trying too hard to write something. I’m sitting in Pasticceria Vittoria, eyeballing the eclairs and listening to ladies chattering like magpies with the female proprietor. Eugenio, the owner, has left for the afternoon. He will be returning soon to finish out the day. As soon as he sees me, he will exlclaim, “Professore”!
The day has turned out gray and dull with a deadness in the air. A few drops of rain were the excitement for the day. Thunderstorms are supposedly on the way for tomorrow which I will enjoy. The weekend is primed for sunshine.
But this is not what I had planned for my final days in Italy. Gabbing monotonously about bland topics. I suppose this just underscores a reality that, even in the most phenomenal of places on this planet, boredom can set it. It’s not always gelato and espresso. Sometimes it’s just…well, dull.
Of course those two eclairs in the display case that are screaming my name will take this day into a different, more positive dimension.
This is My Lemonade 