Post updates by email:
Any modest Italian will tell you…“No one does it better than Italians!”

For me, growing up Italian was both a blessing and a curse.

Like any Italian, I’d have to say that our food is the BEST (sorry, but it is). Starting with the smell. My most vivid memories are of Sunday afternoons at my mothers’ parents house. It always reeked of tomato sauce, garlic, basil, and red wine - yummy!

Contrary to my fathers’ parents house, which always reeked of friggin’ moth balls. His mother had this wonderful trick of filling the vacuum cleaner bag with moth ball crystals, so that when she vacuumed…the whole house would permeate with this delightful, intoxicating smell - yummy!

Let me just put it this way…I disliked his mother INTENSELY.

(she’s gone now)

Also, I feel blessed in the way Italian’s “feel” everything with incredible PASSION.

They will love something with the same passion they hate it with.

(with Italian’s it either love or hate…nothing in between)

Being Italian, is like being part of some ancient sacred connective bloodline, which can be absolutely wonderful and yet, annoyingly controlling.

Once born into Italian spirit, you are bound for the rest of your life to call every member of your family and ask their approval for everything (and I mean everything).

“May I please go wee-wee?

Then they will all call a meeting at the Godfathers’ house; bring out the Chianti; take votes; scream and curse at one another; kiss and make up; eat some left-over stuffed peppers and eggplant; smoke cigars; and then finally give you their answer.

NO!

(gee…. I wonder how I always knew what the answer was gong to be?)

However, this “approval method” didn’t sit too well with me.

I’ve always been someone who believes that if I did or did not want to do something…well then by God, I’m going to do it or not - no questions asked.

I’m defiant, stubborn, and defiant.

(just ask my mother)

As a child, I would always just sit back at family gatherings (which was every week), watching the dynamics of how all this “Italian stuff” worked; thinking to myself, “I can’t wait till I’m old enough to blow this gelato stand.”

I have a “love-hate thing” with being Italian.

But hey….is there any other way?

“Che faccia brutta!”

(What an ugly face)

Arriverderci!







Photo: imelda

5 comments:

  1. I am still growing up Italian. As a fellow Italian I can relate to all you have written.
    There are only two kinds of people in this world. Italians and those who wish they were Italian. Ah! the days of pasta on Wednesday and Sunday have now moved from my MOTHER'S (always in capital letters) to my house. The smells of tomato and garlic is the essence of the gods. Just to fill you and blog audience in; I make the best sauce in the entire universe. It is an old family rec
    ipe that has been handed down through the generations of our familia.
    Ron,
    I love your new site here and I wish you success with it.
    Chou.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your new blog Ron, I'll be popping by a lot, of course I will still be visiting Footnotes as well.

    Just read your post about the new computer and found it very interesting as MWM has just purchased a lap top which comes with Vista. I just asked and it has 1024MB System Memory and 120 GB Hardisk (not that I understand what that means!)hope that's enough because I will definitely be throwing it through the window if it doesn't go fast enough!

    I posted a quiz yesterday if you fancy having a go. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Morning Mr. Dave~

    Grazie for stopping by and leaving me a comment!

    You're my very FIRST!

    I was hoping you'd see this post on being Italian...as I know that we share the same blood!

    And you're right...it's SAUCE...not GRAVY!!!!

    (gravy is for turkey's)

    Is'nt it GRAND being Italian????

    (we're so insane)

    Thank you kind Sir, for stopping by during the "open blog house" and for your well-wishes!

    It's always a pleasure Dave!

    Ciao,
    Ron

    ReplyDelete
  4. Morning Akelamalu~

    Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by to say hello on this "new blog launch."

    You and Dave are my very first comments...and that makes me very HAPPY!

    (we're all Blogger-Family now)

    Hey listen...about your new computer with Vista. You have MORE than enough memory!!! Good for MWM for getting all that RAM! He was very smart.

    Like I said, Vista is working to get out frequent updates everyday!

    You guys will enjoy it. It also has the BEST spyware security system!!!

    Stop by anytime Akelamalu...I always look forward to your comments!

    Thank you for enjoying my new blog!

    Have a wonderful week,
    Ron

    ReplyDelete
  5. *GiGGLeS* What a gorgeous post!!! YUMMMMMMMM I LOVE Italian!!! xx

    ReplyDelete