Yes to all of this; thank you Cheryl. And also, as a one half of a gay couple (both of us having US and ITA passports) I've watched with absolute horror how Meloni and her coalition have made the gay community generally, and parents via surrogacy in particular, the center of her populist rally. To read this material (and I read Italian very well) it seems we gays are the cause for Italy's low birthrates and, perhaps/probably, for its awful economy. So Italy isn't exactly a trade up for me from US political lunacy. Is anywhere?
A bit of bright news: Umbria and Perugia voted in, respectively, a center left president and mayor. Emilia-Romagna (less surprisingly) also now has a center left president. May the shift continue!
I agree-- we've just gotten our permesso di soggiorno for Italy, and of course all our American friends have been congratulating us for avoiding the deluge that appears ready to strike the States. But it's a strange feeling not being there in what feels like a time of crisis. You can run, but you can't hide I suppose. Very thoughtful and insightful post...
I used to have a paddle to which a small rubber ball was tethered by an elastic. Escape, return. Escape, return, sometimes rhythmically, which suggested I had some control; sometimes wildly because my hold on "control" had been lost. 'Twas ever thus.
Haha in addition, Hercules rocks = in ancient literature, direction to America… amusing text and some logical connections. I also spend much time as a stranger in Italy and follow with pleasure. I am going to restack with a note
I needed so badly to escape from several years of intense trauma and grief. I found my place of beauty and safety here on the southeastern coast of Spain. My new home is not perfect but it helps to insulate me from the political turmoil in the US. I still worry though about our fragile planet and all our collective dreams and hope for peace.
Current events are a travesty to be sure. It is frightening to say the least.
Escape has always been one of my ongoing fantasies. To just disappear. But whereto, and to do what?
And in the end we are usually running from our own problems, which will follow us anyway.
But thank God we did escape to where we are! It is infinitely better than living in the not so united states! At least we can watch the shit show from a distance. And hope that whatever happens doesn't end us all. We are thankful that we got out when we did.
We watched Lucifer from start to finish until the finale the other night. A light hearted take on things but with serious messages and hope in the end.
It was also a trip down memory lane seeing all the places in LA, where I grew up a lifetime ago.
We did what we could, we voted. Now all we can do is follow our paths here, cross our fingers and pray to God!
Yes to all of this; thank you Cheryl. And also, as a one half of a gay couple (both of us having US and ITA passports) I've watched with absolute horror how Meloni and her coalition have made the gay community generally, and parents via surrogacy in particular, the center of her populist rally. To read this material (and I read Italian very well) it seems we gays are the cause for Italy's low birthrates and, perhaps/probably, for its awful economy. So Italy isn't exactly a trade up for me from US political lunacy. Is anywhere?
A bit of bright news: Umbria and Perugia voted in, respectively, a center left president and mayor. Emilia-Romagna (less surprisingly) also now has a center left president. May the shift continue!
I agree-- we've just gotten our permesso di soggiorno for Italy, and of course all our American friends have been congratulating us for avoiding the deluge that appears ready to strike the States. But it's a strange feeling not being there in what feels like a time of crisis. You can run, but you can't hide I suppose. Very thoughtful and insightful post...
Thanks for this from we two 'Citizens of Nowhere'!
I used to have a paddle to which a small rubber ball was tethered by an elastic. Escape, return. Escape, return, sometimes rhythmically, which suggested I had some control; sometimes wildly because my hold on "control" had been lost. 'Twas ever thus.
Haha in addition, Hercules rocks = in ancient literature, direction to America… amusing text and some logical connections. I also spend much time as a stranger in Italy and follow with pleasure. I am going to restack with a note
I needed so badly to escape from several years of intense trauma and grief. I found my place of beauty and safety here on the southeastern coast of Spain. My new home is not perfect but it helps to insulate me from the political turmoil in the US. I still worry though about our fragile planet and all our collective dreams and hope for peace.
Well said. It’s hard to imagine that many people…. you know the rest. The big worry is they still won’t learn anything
Hear, hear, Cheryl. Well said.
Current events are a travesty to be sure. It is frightening to say the least.
Escape has always been one of my ongoing fantasies. To just disappear. But whereto, and to do what?
And in the end we are usually running from our own problems, which will follow us anyway.
But thank God we did escape to where we are! It is infinitely better than living in the not so united states! At least we can watch the shit show from a distance. And hope that whatever happens doesn't end us all. We are thankful that we got out when we did.
We watched Lucifer from start to finish until the finale the other night. A light hearted take on things but with serious messages and hope in the end.
It was also a trip down memory lane seeing all the places in LA, where I grew up a lifetime ago.
We did what we could, we voted. Now all we can do is follow our paths here, cross our fingers and pray to God!
Best to you sistah!
https://youtu.be/KMCKaMgiydk?si=vqjbypCJ8lNdWxni
Listen to this song .It's exactly for you.
It's exactly what you're thinking about
❤️
𝘵ℎ𝘰𝑢𝘨ℎ 𝑙𝘰𝑛𝘨 𝘸𝑎𝘭𝑘𝘴 𝘪𝑛 𝑝𝘭𝑎𝘤𝑒𝘴 𝘰𝑓 𝑏𝘦𝑎𝘶𝑡𝘺 𝘮𝑎𝘬𝑒 𝑓𝘰𝑟 𝑚𝘦𝑑𝘪𝑡𝘢𝑡𝘪𝑣𝘦 𝘣𝑎𝘭𝑚
I love St Augustine's "salvitur ambulando" - it is resolved by walking.
It’s a bad day for America, even for the people who voted for him, they just don’t know it yet