Even more daring than Alesandra.

My Italian girlfriend has a friend. A teaching colleague. Alesandra. And I think they are good for each other. Very good. Because they make each other laugh. I may be on Skype (an audio-video connection) with my girlfriend. When she's sounding a little bit down. But when Alesandra calls, my friend gets carried away. Engaged in a lively conversation. And the mood takes on a pleasant tone. Everyone's spirits are lifted. The other night, Alesandra drove us to Cagliari, the capital city of Sardinia, for a shopping expedition. We all bought Italian-made shoes. It was a fun time. Alesandra is most daring. She doesn't hesitate crossing busy streets outside of the pedestrian crosswalks. My girlfriend normally follows the rules. Plays it safe. Takes to the crosswalks. But when she sees Alesandra break the rules, she does, too. I like that. Because I like rule-breakers. They often take risks. Alesandra will dart across a street. Beating the traffic. My girlfriend hesitates. And maybe that's just as well. She'll probably live longer. But hey, there's something positive to say about the daring. Maybe my girlfriend's most daring moment came when she took up with me. That's an act of courage. Maybe even more daring than Alesandra's daring. --Jim Broede