'I'm in Italy. Ain't this great?'

One good thing about living in Italy. I don’t watch much TV. Maybe I should watch more. In order to learn the Italian language.  But I’d be better off reading a book. Or conversing with Italians. Live. Face to face.  TV ain’t the way to expand one’s brain power or to gain a better understanding of the world. Like Americans, many Italians are glued to their TV screens. They watch soap operas and the usual yapping politicians and quiz shows and American movies with dubbed in Italian, plus some pretty raunchy sexcapades. I don’t watch much TV at home in Minnesota, either. But even less in Italy. Partly because of the language barrier. Though I’m able to get the BBC and CNN. In English, of course. But I prefer reading the New York Times in cyberspace. Or just going for a walk in the great Italian outdoors. And ignoring the rest of the world. Last night, I walked briskly down Carbonia’s main street and marveled at the thought, ‘Hey, I’m in Italy. Ain’t this great?’  --Jim Broede

The Italian way of politics.

The ballot. In  next week’s parliamentary election in Italy. Wow! It was posted on a concrete wall that I pass every day. And I thought about photographing it. But I’d have to invest in an expensive wide-angle lens. The ballot isn’t long. Instead, it’s wide. A column for each political party. And there are many, many of ‘em. Don’t know if I can count that high. Especially if I use the Italian language. Little wonder that a single party can’t corral a majority. Therefore, Italy has coalition governments. Two or more parties banding together. To form a government. Often in a tenuous manner. I’m pulling for a government made up of parties from the left. Maybe headed by a communist. Yes, a communist. Imagine that. Couldn’t happen in America. So despite the crazy-quilt political system in Italy, I’m a bit enamored by it all. To think that the prime minister might be a communist. An intelligent and astute politician. A guy named Pier Luigi Bersani. Indeed, something to savor. But then again, there’s no predicting Italians. Won’t surprise anyone if  buffoon Silvio Berlusconi and his conservative party gain control. Always a possibility that Berlusconi could become prime minister. For an incredible  fourth time. He’s an eccentric, outlandish billionaire. Which makes him attractive to Italians that want a comically  inefficient, but entertaining and corrupt head of state. –Jim Broede

A stupid slow learner, like me.

I dislike being criticized/reprimanded for being a slow learner. Or being stupid, for that matter. And generally, I’d treat other people the same way. Though not always. A thug or a bully might get different treatment. Depends. Anyway, I tend to be a slow learner. A late bloomer. Maybe because I have something against hurrying. Like to take my good-natured time at most things. Including the process of learning. Maybe it’s a way to hide my stupidity. My inability to learn some things quickly. May show that I ain’t a genius. That I’ve got limited mental capacity. The worst teachers I ever had lacked patience. They thought, maybe, that I had to push myself harder. Could be. But better to avoid the stress of pushing, pushing, pushing. Endlessly. Hey, I’ll learn in good time. I wanna be patient with myself. And with others, too. But it’s difficult for me to be patient with an impatient teacher. Or an impatient friend or colleague. Occasionally, I tell them not to be so stupid. That they need to learn a bit faster. About how to treat a stupid slow learner, like me.  –Jim Broede

Tending to my creator business.

I’m in a creative mood. A nice mood. Maybe the best kind. I create. Thought. That’s why I’m here. Living. In the cosmos. On Mother Earth. I was made. By the creator. To create. That’s my mission. No more. No less. To be creative. In my own way. Don’t know about other beings. Other creatures. Other life. That’s their business. To discover. Now I must tend to my business. That of a creator. –Jim Broede

Beyond horizons.

Psychological games. Maybe that’s what I’m playing with myself. So that I can accomplish just about anything. If I set my mind to it. Mind over matter. Thing is, I can create make believe worlds. In my mind. And make them seem real. Oh, not totally real. But real enough to be imagined in great and grand detail. One can create a story. Or a poem. And really feel it. The emotion. The story line. In a way, that’s similar to living it all. Sure, in one’s imagination. But still, imagination is real. In a spiritual sense. Imagination can be grasped. Embraced. Savored. Very, very similar to a real life experience. Another way of expanding one's limits. Beyond horizons. –Jim Broede

I prefer being a rebel.

I like crazy thoughts. The crazier the better. No limits to my thoughts. Far, far out. That’s all right. I never fear to tread. Anywhere. Any place. Know some people who fear. Just being alive. They don’t wanna take chances. No risks. Play everything safe. Even when it comes to thinking. They limit themselves. For fear that knowledge will corrupt their minds. That it’s possible to think too much. They surmise that the creator intended his creatures, even human beings, to be ignorant. To remain in the dark. Forever and ever. To never live on the same plateau as the creator. Because that would be disobedience. And blasphemy. One must always remain inferior. Less than one could be. And never question the wisdom and authority of the creator. Anyway, I don’t buy into that stuff. I allow myself crazy thoughts. I prefer being a rebel. In the creator’s world. I wanna make it my world.  –Jim Broede

Crazy enough to believe.

Jokingly told my Italian true love today that I’m superior. And then began to wonder. How can I prove it? What’s a true test? And Eureka. I found it. If I can walk on water, I’d be superior. That’s it. I have to practice walking on water. I’ve heard that only one person has ever done it. And he sounded a little bit crazy. Claiming that he’s the son of the creator. That he’s the personification of the creator on Earth. My gawd, that’s fantastic. Especially if it’s true. He tried to prove it is, I’m told. In many, many ways. Not the least being actual walking on water. Now for a guy to believe beyond a doubt that he's really  the  son of the creator, one can’t be the most humble man to ever live. Just think what it takes to believe this stuff. I mean, really believe that he’s the most superior guy to ever walk on the face of Mother Earth. Not pretend. And you know what? He probably did believe it. And still does. Wherever he's at. And so do many, many other people. Now the thing is, has everyone been duped? Or is this the most superior man to ever be? Anyway, I know one thing. If I wanna prove I’m superior, too, maybe it's gonna take more than walking on solid ground. Maybe all it takes is practice, practice, practice. Walking on water. And being crazy enough to believe. That one can do it. –Jim Broede