I came, I saw, I conquered- or - I will paint, I will refinish, I will do anything to rebound from my euro deficit ... Ah, yes, I must end with a comment about our beloved euro. Actually, I am out of them, so there really isn't anything to say. Yes, as I have been reminded (that's right-someone else is in charge of redoing my mind)... this is the trip of a lifetime, and they are right; I do feel like I have been tripping on LSD or something! I just never realized that I was destined to be Lenny from "Of Mice and Men" and not George- "the rabbits, George, tell me about the rabbits"......
It has been an interesting month, and surely one that I will have much fun thinking about and talking about for a long time. I am very happy that I was able to spend this time with Aliyah and company, going hither and thither, to and fro. I never dreamed I would come to Italy, but I am happy that this all transpired. I feel my parents and grandparents here, and I do ponder the thought that perhaps I came here to do some karmic work. As you know, my Mother recently passed away, and at times I have thought that she sent me here, but it is only a fleeting thought. Do I feel any more Italian than before I came? It's a good question, but it's not like I walked around everyday for sixty-one years thinking I was Italian. Actually, I felt more Greek for most of my adult life, having taught thousands of Greeks in Upper Darby, and, I still know more Greek words than Italian- most of them way too off color for such a public forum. (Ese' Kalla)
Aliyah certainly looks like a little Italian, but she also could slip into almost any Mediterranean lineage, or be accepted anywhere with her loving smile. But there must be some connection, some point to this journey, right? I mean, I know it has triggered some intense reflection at times, and I have certainly enjoyed the sights, the sounds, and the people.(OK, the food wasn't bad either) Unquestionably, the Italian and Sicilian pastoral beauty is something I will never forget. For now, I will just have to leave it at this: An appreciation for more of God's landscape, more of His wonder, another affirmation of His magnificence in all things seen and unseen. The Roman Catholic Church calls St. Peter's Cathedral "The Holy See". To me, you either see God in all things and people or you don't. I am either seeing holy or I am not. I am either acting respectfully to myself and others or I am not. I am either aware of the presence of God within me, accompanying me, walking with me, or I am not. I am either giving thanks, or I am not. We all have the "The Holy See" inside of us.
All of this Roman Catholicism and Roman antiquity has triggered a desire to research the story of Jesus, may peace be upon him, and the hodgepodge of information surrounding his life and departure. It has always fascinated me how the Torah and the Quran were given and kept as complete, unaltered revelations, but the New Testament contains only what was remembered and repeated by others. The more I research, the more complex it gets, but it is interesting to read some of what went on and how so many of the Roman and Greek customs and concepts were blended into the story, and how Rome latched onto this and took charge. I am more than a little curious about the way this whole story was put together, especially in the first years after Jesus' departure, may peace be upon him. As one author put it: Rome conquered the world a second time with Christianity.
So, I thank God for this day of consciousness. He has put me here for a reason, and today was another day to discover/uncover that reason. Aliyah is helping me fly, lifting me up, keeping me in touch, giving me a purpose when I can't see one, and for this I am grateful. My family keeps helping me break through barriers and teaching me ways to let go that I never dreamed possible. This has been Italy, let's see what tomorrow brings.
Bongiorno one last time from "The Eternal City" of Roma. This is Alberto Novelli signing off for now. Look for my next blog which will be called "Mr. Novelli's American Adventure". It will actually be a daily Twelve Step Overeaters Anonymous program diary to help me stop eating compulsively.
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