Liberal no. 45/1999
Dear Mina,
I have just returned from the beach and, as I have often done in these last days of October, spent many hours of my free time under the hot sun of this interminable summer. Meteorologists say the planet’s temperature is rising, and even common sense claims that the mid-seasons have disappeared. Everything is changing, there are no more certainties, even in terms of climate. What do you think?
Rosaria F., Catania
“My lady, since math is not an opinion, this autumn’s degrees make us think that, indeed, the mid-seasons are no more. We always believed that after the windy spring and dry summer, there followed, at least in the north, the foggy autumn and then the harsh winter. And instead now we go from light shirts to coats and, almost without realizing it, we arrive at Epiphany, which all holidays take away … my lady … Then, having gone through Carnival, when every joke counts, we find ourselves right into Easter. And, since on that occasion we can give up family members and vacation with whomever we want, we channel ourselves into the highways, not without meditating deeply on the most appropriate time to make the smart departure. Unless, wanting to stay in the traditional vein, you decide on the usual out-of-town jaunt with hard-boiled eggs and plaid on the grass. But, in spite of everything … my lady … these trips are just a foretaste of the summer maxi-exoduses, when then, on the roads, the flood of vacationers pours in and, unfortunately, the blood of accidents flows.
Ah, of course … my lady … if young people were more careful, if everyone buckled up, if we convinced ourselves that prevention is better than cure, it would reduce the number of fatalities. Unfortunately, however, young people are not what they used to be. Once upon a time … my lady … when one bought a car with the sweat of one’s brow, with one’s labor and life savings … Maybe it was better when it was worse. Today, however, fathers no longer know how to educate, and as soon as their children ask for something, they concede everything. Could it be the fault of Sputnik? Or, perhaps, is it the fault of television, journalists and all consumerism? Ah … my lady … these young people, who no longer know what sacrifice is and destroy themselves with Saturday night massacres! These young people, looking for money, success and beauty at all costs, and they don’t realize that true beauty is something you have inside, right my lady?
I kind of understand them, though, these young people, who find themselves in such a strange society. They look for work and Moroccans take it away from them, politicians no longer set a good example, you can never find a parking space, and when standing in line at the post office, the clerks are rude as well. Good thing we still have the Carabinieri to give us some security!
But, in such a world there is still something beautiful: you just need to be able to grasp the small pleasures of life. For example, I feel very happy when I get together with all the relatives at the same table on certain garrulous occasions, such as Holy Christmas. And I prepare the specialties of yesteryear, even though nowadays we are not so sure what they put in the food. When there is health there is everything, but today we no longer know what we are eating, with all these chemical additives … If I go to the supermarket there are many good deals, but it is still true that the more you spend the less you spend.
But another good thing in life is when I turn on the television and see the same faces reassuring me and convincing me that time does not pass, because, inside the screen, everything remains the same: same telenovelas. same live games, same hosts. How beautiful! So I feel like I never grow old. But then it is true that the real age is what one feels inside.
You see, dear lady, how complicated modern-day life is. But where did we start from? What had he asked me? Well, it doesn’t matter; after all, what matters is health.
Ah, sorry, I almost forgot … In vino veritas. Courage, if one does not have it, one cannot give it to oneself. Parva domus sed apta mihi. Nothing new under the sun. Dulcis in fundo and, above all, while there is life there is hope.” Now I have said it all and, please, my lady … …take my salute away.
