other personal experiences of citizenship
tuscan citizens: through my eyes
Throughout my stay in Italy thus far my idea of what is important in life has shifted. In life people strive to earn the most amount of money that they can, for the most part. At least this is a goal that many learn from a young age. In the United States specifically, and certainly at Wake Forest, we are surrounded by a culture that is very competitive; always striving to be the best in our given fields or areas of study. However, standing at the top of the hill in Monticchiello, staring out at the breathtaking Tuscan scenery around me, one can’t hear cars racing by, you don’t hear feet pounding the pavement, running to a class or to the library; quite frankly you don’t hear anything. Italians in general live a life which is very different to the average American citizen. I have discovered four different qualities that to me encompass the Italian lifestyle and it was our trip to Tuscany this weekend that solidified these values for me. Passion, pride, simplicity and fulfillment are the things I encountered upon several occasions from various locals in Tuscany. These traits are ultimately what make an individual happy and thus create a good citizen.
No matter what they are doing, the Italians are passionate about it. Whether they are a cheese monger, a store owner, or a garbage man, the Italians are proud of their profession. They are proud of what they do and what they have to offer. When we were in Monticchiello there was a man called Massimo who owned a linens store. Upon entering, his eyes light up and he started speaking to me in Italian so fast that I couldn’t figure out when one word ended and the next began. I had to apologize and say that I was not a native Italian, to which he smiled and spoke more slowly. I struggled slightly with my broken Italian but I learned a lot from him. Supposedly he had lived in that town his whole life. Some of the items were handmade and others came from areas around the region. I was so eager to tell me everything and show me everything in this eclectic mess of a store. He was not trying to sell me items, he didn’t even mention prices once; he was merely showing the variety of items that he sold. You could see the pride gleaming from his eyes. The same thing happened with another store owner in Montalcino. She was so happy to talk to us about her life there. She had also lived there her whole life and was so passionate about and proud of her small tourist shop at the top of the hill. Although it wasn’t much to someone like us, to her it was all that she needed. It brought her so much joy. She could have spoken to us for hours just like Massimo.
Italians also tend to live their lives much more simply than the Americans that we are surrounded by on a daily basis. Some never even leave the small towns that they were born in, not even for a vacation. To someone like me, I would feel imprisoned, but it does not bother them. In Monticchiello, again, there was an old woman who we met on our way to the top of the hill. She was sweeping the front of her house with a home broom, taking care to get every twig and leaf out of the way, so people could admire her beautiful home. She had several grape vines hanging delicately in front of the main façade. She spoke to me and Chelsea about the grapes that she had grown and about living in Monticchiello. She too had lived there almost all her life. She clearly lived very minimally but she was so happy and proud. She wanted to share this happiness that she felt with us. She encouraged us to take what was left of the grapes that she had grown and try them, just to see how good her produce had been. At first we declined because we did not want to take them from her but after she insisted we agreed to take some. This woman did not live an extravagant life by any means but she was one of the happiest people I have met in a long time.
Lastly Italians seem be feel fulfillment from the simplest of things. On Saturday night when we were in Pienza, Brooke, Caroline and I all went to a local restaurant to eat called La Buca di Enea. It has been recommended by many people on different websites so we decided to give it a go. When we walked in, the restaurant was tiny. It had maybe seven tables. I did not think that we were going to be able to eat there that night. However, the owner, Antonio, insisted that we wait for five minutes while he figured something out. He shifted some tables around and sure enough in five minutes there was a table available for us. We had a long, delicious dinner at his restaurant. At the end of the evening Antonio turned to us and asked us what we thought of the meal. Throughout the evening he had not shown much of a variation in emotions. When we told him that we thought it was delicious, it was as if we were the world’s finest food critiques giving our approval to his cuisine. He relaxed and the biggest smile grew across his face. He then promptly as to take a photo with us. This was what made him feel fulfilled: pleasing his customers and in returning taking a picture with them, as a reminder of his success. He was already happy with his job and proud of his restaurant but it was his customer’s reaction that made him feel fulfilled.
In a society that is so driven by monetary success it is rare that you find these traits in people. People do not always follow their passion, they choose to be extravagant in what they do and unless they have profited they do not necessarily always feel fulfilled. My parents have always taught me to find my passion in life and follow that path because only then will I feel fulfilled and happy. I saw my parents’ advice come to life through the various Italians that I conversed with this weekend. They say that actions speak louder than words and this was certainly the case this weekend. I have never thought my parents’ words more true. These people that I met were ideal citizens because they were true to themselves, they were passionate, they were proud, they lived simply and they felt fulfilled because of it. This ultimately made them all happy which contributed to the tranquil and contented nature of the various towns that we visited. This weekend was probably one of the happiest that I have had whilst abroad and it is because of the positive energy I felt from these towns and citizens that I met.
No matter what they are doing, the Italians are passionate about it. Whether they are a cheese monger, a store owner, or a garbage man, the Italians are proud of their profession. They are proud of what they do and what they have to offer. When we were in Monticchiello there was a man called Massimo who owned a linens store. Upon entering, his eyes light up and he started speaking to me in Italian so fast that I couldn’t figure out when one word ended and the next began. I had to apologize and say that I was not a native Italian, to which he smiled and spoke more slowly. I struggled slightly with my broken Italian but I learned a lot from him. Supposedly he had lived in that town his whole life. Some of the items were handmade and others came from areas around the region. I was so eager to tell me everything and show me everything in this eclectic mess of a store. He was not trying to sell me items, he didn’t even mention prices once; he was merely showing the variety of items that he sold. You could see the pride gleaming from his eyes. The same thing happened with another store owner in Montalcino. She was so happy to talk to us about her life there. She had also lived there her whole life and was so passionate about and proud of her small tourist shop at the top of the hill. Although it wasn’t much to someone like us, to her it was all that she needed. It brought her so much joy. She could have spoken to us for hours just like Massimo.
Italians also tend to live their lives much more simply than the Americans that we are surrounded by on a daily basis. Some never even leave the small towns that they were born in, not even for a vacation. To someone like me, I would feel imprisoned, but it does not bother them. In Monticchiello, again, there was an old woman who we met on our way to the top of the hill. She was sweeping the front of her house with a home broom, taking care to get every twig and leaf out of the way, so people could admire her beautiful home. She had several grape vines hanging delicately in front of the main façade. She spoke to me and Chelsea about the grapes that she had grown and about living in Monticchiello. She too had lived there almost all her life. She clearly lived very minimally but she was so happy and proud. She wanted to share this happiness that she felt with us. She encouraged us to take what was left of the grapes that she had grown and try them, just to see how good her produce had been. At first we declined because we did not want to take them from her but after she insisted we agreed to take some. This woman did not live an extravagant life by any means but she was one of the happiest people I have met in a long time.
Lastly Italians seem be feel fulfillment from the simplest of things. On Saturday night when we were in Pienza, Brooke, Caroline and I all went to a local restaurant to eat called La Buca di Enea. It has been recommended by many people on different websites so we decided to give it a go. When we walked in, the restaurant was tiny. It had maybe seven tables. I did not think that we were going to be able to eat there that night. However, the owner, Antonio, insisted that we wait for five minutes while he figured something out. He shifted some tables around and sure enough in five minutes there was a table available for us. We had a long, delicious dinner at his restaurant. At the end of the evening Antonio turned to us and asked us what we thought of the meal. Throughout the evening he had not shown much of a variation in emotions. When we told him that we thought it was delicious, it was as if we were the world’s finest food critiques giving our approval to his cuisine. He relaxed and the biggest smile grew across his face. He then promptly as to take a photo with us. This was what made him feel fulfilled: pleasing his customers and in returning taking a picture with them, as a reminder of his success. He was already happy with his job and proud of his restaurant but it was his customer’s reaction that made him feel fulfilled.
In a society that is so driven by monetary success it is rare that you find these traits in people. People do not always follow their passion, they choose to be extravagant in what they do and unless they have profited they do not necessarily always feel fulfilled. My parents have always taught me to find my passion in life and follow that path because only then will I feel fulfilled and happy. I saw my parents’ advice come to life through the various Italians that I conversed with this weekend. They say that actions speak louder than words and this was certainly the case this weekend. I have never thought my parents’ words more true. These people that I met were ideal citizens because they were true to themselves, they were passionate, they were proud, they lived simply and they felt fulfilled because of it. This ultimately made them all happy which contributed to the tranquil and contented nature of the various towns that we visited. This weekend was probably one of the happiest that I have had whilst abroad and it is because of the positive energy I felt from these towns and citizens that I met.