Archivi categoria: English

Being old

Being old

Oh, boys, you’ll know it. You’ll try taste being old.

You didn’t think about it before, but it happens, suddenly when you least expect it.

It’s strange how your body, which has run perfectly till now, doesn’t anymore. Nothing important, you know? At least at the beginning, but every further day more defined.

First could be your neck, or a leg, then there will be something wrong more and more often .

being old
Di sconosciuto – scan from 19th century book, Pubblico dominio, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3785590

Don’t worry

It is not foolish, it is not unbelievable: simply, you are getting old.

 When it starts there is no evidence of changes, you feel well as ever before, you feel timeless. Nevertheless when you realize time has passed, there is difference.

The first knowledge that something is wrong comes one morning while shaving yourself, when you look at your whiskers ending on beard.  Is there something?  Maybe! Have a look! The colour seems to be different. “Hey, what’s that?” That’s  your aging, that’s you getting old.

Life Is connected to time, life is time passing, mostly in a whisper, in a time.

That’s not the only matter, that’s not the most important either.

Being old, what’s significant then?

When the moment arrives fix the past, make a balance and, hopefully, enjoy the result.

If it is not positive, your mind will change the sign for you, anyway.

With the past filed you should schedule the future, but you don’t know how long it will be.

It doesn’t matter you will trust in the next tomorrow, at least one day, usually one week, one year or more.

Tomorrow is always sure.

A bright tomorrow

I know, tomorrow will be bright, so bright you will not be able to keep your eyes open.

Be sure, there will be a fresh egg to suck, every new day.

On the other hand, the previous time becomes foggier and foggier .

Whenever you don’t trust me, whenever you wait trembling for tomorrow every night, hoping for another day, for a new chance, please ask yourself why?

You’ll have a new day to do what?

I guess to do nothing!

Just to become older and not die.

Giancarlo

Cover image: di Jozef IsraëlsQuando si diventa vecchi, 1878 CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7625799

My life

My life.

That’s my life.

I’m clever. Indeed!

I learned so much, much more than any other I knew.

I was just born when my mother give me the first lesson of my primary education. The sound of her voice was so nice. I learnt a lot from her: to eat, to sleep, to ask, to refuse, to accept.

Later on she went back to work, she couldn’t stay all day long with me. Most of the time I was alone at home, sometimes with the neighbourhood children, who gave me my secondary education. I learnt a lot of new things; running in a forest or climbing up a river . I built a tepee, I fished and I hunted birds. During this time I learnt how to swim in a river and how to do it in a lake. I could understand which mushrooms are edible and which not.

At this time I started travelling alone; by train to reach Cortona, to my uncle’s house; on foot to visit my neighbours playing in the courtyard of other houses.

At six I went to school. My third education came in a small primary school, which had to be reached on foot, some kilometres far from my house. Most of the time I was together with other pupils walking toward or from the school.

The school was small with my class of three different levels and ages, I learned to stay with them and to have relationship with younger and older guys. My previous experiences were useful then.

My life

Go on

Fourth act of my education was at secondary school, in Bucine. I had to travel longer, to take a bus, many new first times, many changes these days. New subjects of study. Many new teachers . Not really so many as during my high school in Arezzo but enough. To go there, for the fifth act, I needed to take a train to go there , but I was already used to it, since I was so young it was great to get it again. Also there I found new subjects, facing chemistry, discovering scientific approaches. My new companions came from all the Italian regions. Fantastic.

Now, forty years after the “diploma”, I sob and cry remembering it.

My education continued with driving school, for a driving license.

Then another step with university, great!

Then an higher level with military service; where, for the first time, I taught someone else (I had to teach how to drive a lorry to lorry drivers).

Ninth level is the first job. Learning again, teaching again.

Then I had a family, a wife, children, my own dog and cats… a never ending story, until now: my life.

Giancarlo

Cyclists

Cyclists

Oh, what beautiful day today: Let’s cycle! Let’s ride! Full of cyclists.

Well this is good for you but not for me.

Because when cyclists are out, riding in the streets, I go ballistic.

Cyclists ride in pairs, even in rows of three, four even not in a long, large anarchist group.

Drivers, especially me, sit in their cars and, incredibly, cars are larger and faster than bikes. At the same time streets are narrow, too narrow to let drivers pass cyclists. I go spare.

Nothing against cyclists

Cyclists

Nothing against them, while they are in a bike path, but if they go in a car lane I see red.

They always ride in a unsafe way, risky for them and for others. But the law, unexpectedly, is always on their side.

Whenever you beat them it would never be due to them, even if they go the wrong way or on the wrong side of the street.

They are most vulnerable when involved in an accident but they continue to dangerously ride precariously.

They cross the street without giving the way, even if you are in the right.

Their bikes don’t have lights, even if today led lamps reduce a lot the weight and the effort to be lit.

I hope I will never hurt one of them.


I would regret my mistake even if I couldn’t believe it to be mine.

But often drivers don’t have full visuals over the street to prevent hazardous manoeuvres from cyclists, pedestrians and whatever else encumbers the way.

Sometimes, seeing a cyclist in action, in some of their bad habits, I would stop. I would get out of the car and hit his/her head with the knuckles of my hand.

But it is my fault, it is our fault. I have never, we have never spent a minute to stop, and shout to who held the handles.

Giancarlo

At Bucine

At Bucine.

At Bucine railway station, a newly arrived tourist:

at bucine
Di Tr6637 – Opera propria, Pubblico dominio, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10042656

Newly arrived tourist:

Oh God, I’m here, finally!

Mister… Hey mister, you live here, don’t you? ”

Me:

Yes Sir, I’m Bucinese, born and resident here, right now. ”

Suspicious tourist:

Yeah, well… I’ve just arrived, by train, I’m English, from Manchester; I’m afraid I don’t know anything about Bucine; I chose my holiday destination by chance, flipping a coin. ”

I wonder if… I’m afraid of mafia. How is crime here? Is Bucine safe or unsafe? It’s unsafe, isn’t it?”

Me:

Oh yes, please stay alert. If I were you I would never talk to the first unknown person you meet or accept something from him. He will surely be a criminal, a danger to your safety and wallet, much more to your wallet, indeed.

However, may I give you a lift to the “agriturismo” you have booked?”

Idiot tourist:

Oh yes, please. Thank you very much indeed.”

At Bucine bus stop:

at bucine
Di ColdShine – Fatta da me., Pubblico dominio, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1375155

Bus driver:

Hey man.”

Me:

Yes please?”

Bus driver:

I’m the bus driver…”

Me:

Oho, that’s fine, isn’t it?”

Bus driver:

Well, excuse me, I’m here for the first time, I’m not used to it at all. May I ask your help?”

Me:

For free or you are willing to pay for it?”

Bus driver:

What?” Not understanding the meaning of my words.

Me:

OK, OK, leave it, tell me your doubts.”

Bus driver:

I have to go to the football arena, may I pass through the town, right now?”

Me:

Oh yes, no! I mean not now because today is market day in Bucine and all the central streets are full of market stands. There is not enough space to pass, anyway it Is strictly forbidden today till two o’clock for residents too.

However still after two o’clock you cannot pass through Bucine. Your bus is too long to manage to turn church corner, I guess.”

Bus driver:

Right! could you could suggest an alternative way then?”

Me:

Sure, go to the railway station and ask someone to escort you there….”

Giancarlo

Hi men

Hi men.

Hi men. This is me, Giancarlo, an old, old man.

I should have done (something) different in my youth, i.e. in my first job selection.

Because I studied chemistry I decide to apply for “WAXHO”, I shouldn’t have failed my application to it.

Waxho is the most important biomedical industry worldwide producing here in Tuscany, in the Siena area.

At that time they were looking for bread people, young people, to hire.

I shouldn’t have failed, really I shouldn’t! Oh dear!

Oho dear. Such an ass I was.

hi men

Hi men, hi.

Filling in the form, first step of the application, it was perfect, 100% right answers. Also my general skills were, all, OK.
One of the jobs was mine.

But, it is incredible how we are stupid when we are young, young and stupid, they are always together.

Well it was a skiing weekend that weekend. But on Monday there was the interview , I knew, I shouldn’t go to the mountains. Sure.

But if I went there I would met Ellen, ah Ellen, I couldn’t stay without her, could I?

I couldn’t, I wouldn’t!

Hi men
By Svein-Magne Tunli – tunliweb.no – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56130025

So I had a fantastic weekend with Ellen, it’s impossible to tell you more about it, but her… but the snow.

Do you like the snow? I like both Ellen and the snow, white and soft embracing me, all. Snow and Ellen everywhere.

I should have had my chains with me, but I didn’t.

Or, better, I had only Ellen ones, not useful for my car.

On Monday the road downhill was blocked, due to the snow as my car due to its differential gear. There was nothing else to do.

Now I am alone, Ellen abandoned me, I am not employed at Waxho, and the miserable salary of my current job can tell you why I still regret that.

Sincerely

Giancarlo