A Happy Encounter

It was a glorious day today! I received an email from the Italian Friday night saying he would be here today, but today he called Maria to say he was tied up and cannot come until tomorrow. Maria says he is Italian and the “maybe yes, maybe no, maybe now, maybe later” is just the Italian way and that I must have “pazienza”, patience. Patience is not one of my virtues and perhaps I am being given small lessons about being patient and waiting for all the wonderful things to come. We Americans, as a society, are not patient. We want fast everything; look how many businesses advertise “immediate” this or that, and “same day service.” Maybe with all the rush-rush, must-have-it-right-now mentality, we’ve lost something. We’ve sacrificed the ability to savor a moment and allow anticipation to build. Perhaps the destination is not as important as the journey, the wait, and we must learn to enjoy life for each tiny moment we are granted, for each is a gift. A 2 hour dinner and wine with friends is beginning to sound really wonderful to me.

There is an artist drawing a picture of the plants on Maria’s porch, under an ancient stone arch. I have been conversing in elementary Italian to him these past days, but as luck would have it he is Scottish and here for 6 weeks or so. We chatted, and when he began to pack up his small, portable easel, I invited him to join me for coffee. We sipped double cappuccinos and had a long conversation. He was in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during WWII and is a very interesting man. He grew up and still lives in Glasgow so we connected about our similar Scottish roots. He is going to begin a picture of Maria’s front porch and I’ve asked if he will sell one of his drawings to me, as a memory. He paid for my coffee when I nipped off to the ladies room. A kind gesture from a gentleman.

It seems that learning to accept from other is a lesson I am learning here as well; allowing others to give to me out of the goodness of their hearts with grace and appreciation, as gifts have been given me over and over again since I arrived here. In past I have prided myself on my independence and ability to take care of myself. Perhaps that is a quality intimidating to others, particularly members of the opposite sex. Why indeed would I need a relationship when I can do everything for myself? That air of independence becomes a wall which keeps others at a distance, even if that is not my intent. So, maybe I do not need a relationship, but I would like one, and so I will strive to not be so independent as to make a future partner feel superfluous. Of course, I will not become a clinging sponge either. Surely there is some middle ground.

I am learning big lessons on this journey.