Why I Love The South of Italy

Old and wizened, he looked at me and said, "I am much richer than you Americans".

I was speaking English to my husband so he must have thought I was American. I played along. I asked him, "why are you much richer than us Americans?".

He looked at me, sympathy in his eyes, and said, "because today, like every day, I will sit with my family and spend two, maybe three, hours eating, drinking, talking, laughing.

You Americans, you even run with your coffee, you never stop. Me I eat a four plates for lunch, you put it all on one to finish quicker.

For you the time is money. For me time is to spend with the people I love.

Those times at lunch I learned all about my children, they talk with me, grow up with me. No problem is too big, no psychologist we need, we always talk.

That time, those moments, those memories, they are worth much more than all the money you made running mad about with your super whoopy burger or big pot of coffee in polystyrene cup. 

I have nothing much - one old Fiat and little cottage by the sea.

But, I have everything.

I know you will never understand, you want bigger house, bigger car, more money, more rush.

I wish you could maybe understand... just a little"

In a small seaside town in Italy, three corporate executives from Toronto, Dubai, and Shanghai dine at a trattoria. They're discussing how great their cities are.

Nearby sits an elderly Italian grandfather, listening quietly. As they talk, a wry smile creases his face.

"Toronto literally never sleeps; you'll find stores open 24 hours a day, people everywhere... something is always happening somewhere in this great city," the Canadian says.

Not to be outdone, the sheik replies, "In Dubai, our skyscrapers touch the sky, our malls go on forever, and our wealth is obvious to all. Where else would you see gold-plated Bentleys?"

"Shanghai has all of that and more," boasts the Chinese industrialist. "In Shanghai, we have ten-lane highways always filled with traffic, and huge factories stretch as far as the eye can see."

When the  guy from Toronto notices the Italian looking in their direction, he asks smugly, sneeringly, "And what makes YOUR town great?"

The Italian answers: "Because my town has none of those things, and it saddens me that you cannot understand the wonder of that."

An elderly gentleman told me this story this summer in a small town in southern Italy. They had just finished filming a few weeks before I arrived. Here's the story...

A movie is filming in an Italian village. During a break in filming, one of the stars takes a walk through town. Coming across a wizened old man repairing his boat, the star stops to talk. "I have wealth, fame, and success;

how can I help you?"

"I wish to help you," says the old man.

The star looks stunned... "What do you mean?"

"With each movie, you have to make more money; have a bigger house; have a flashy car; have another; have an airplane; even your vacation has to be better than other celebrities'."

"You come to Italy for photo ops, not for a true vacation."

"Time for you is always a race, but your face must stay forever young under the knife of a doctor."

He continues, "My face shows my life, my struggle, and my joy. I live in a small cottage, I've raised three beautiful children, and I have five grandchildren. We eat together every day; I share great joy with them for their small successes, and I am there to hug them when they fail. I savor every moment of life, whether I'm eating, watching a sunset, tending my garden, or fixing my boat.

For you, everything in life is a destination to achieve as quickly as you can.

For me, life is a journey. I feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, and I stop often to think of where I've been and to remember those who have passed on. I, my Hollywood friend, am the richest man I know."

The actor returns to the set and can't sleep that night. The old man's words are troubling.

The next morning the star returns to visit the old man, embraces him, and with eyes brimming with tears says, "You are right; I wish I could stop but I know I am never going to." "I rush headlong to... to where?"