Saturday 31 December 2016

Nightmares and dreams

I was looking for something "happy" to say tonight, like many friends encouraged me to do. But happiness is not among my emotions anymore.
I can be contented, satisfied, delighted, but not happy, nor joyful. I am simply not able to force myself to feel happy anymore.
Having fun is not in my chords anymore too. I can enjoy the time with my friends, I can smile and even laugh in spending time together with my family. But fun...
Fun was laughing along with Alberto, and that will never be again.

I was looking for a dream to cultivate for next year, but for four years I’ve not been able to dream. I just daydream the moment when my troubles will end and I will be able to survive without counting every cent I spend... but that is easy. Real dreams escapes me.

When Alberto lived, I had a recurrent nightmare. I dreamed it every two or three months, and it was dreadful – in the nightmare Alberto died. Back then I merely woke up and talked about it with him, and the nightmare faded away in his presence. I never had that nightmare again, of course, because I am living it. Is it possibly this the reason why I don’t dream anymore?
Or is it just confusion?

Confused is one of the many adjective I find perfectly depicting who I am right now, along with uneasy, lonely, upset, guilty, tired. I tried to understand this as well, and the only explanation I found is that I still can’t see me as a “me” and not an “us”. So many times, while speaking, I have to force myself to say “my home”, “my schedule”, “my computer”, “my scooter”...
I still have to find a “me” without Alberto. If the concept even exists.

For these many reasons I can’t be happy in these days, which for me will always be the period of the year that took Alberto away from me. Reasons that have existed for one thousand, four hundred and sixty days!
But starting with the day number one thousand, four hundred and sixty one there will be another, huge reason not to be happy...
2017 would have marked our thirty anniversary together!

I know these are just numbers and there is no logical reason to mark the round figure anniversary with some special celebration, but I have a morbid fascination for this round 30 that will loom over me in 2017. It would have been a wonderful year with Alberto. It will be unbearable for me without him – June, September, October... I dread the moment when I’ll be living those days...

So, I’m sorry if I can’t be happy and hopeful like you, my friends and family, wish for me. The only wish I have for next year is to wake up from my nightmare, like it happened so many times before.
Wishful thinking...


Friday 4 November 2016

#HoldOnToTheLight – Aggrappati alla luce

Mi sto aggrappando alla luce, ma per continuare a tenermi aggrappata ho bisogno di forza, e per averne la forza devo eliminare molte piccole cose faticose.

È questa la ragione principale per la quale ho dato le dimissioni dal Ponte di Comando e dunque da Presidente dello STIC-AL.
Lo STIC è la mia vita, non lo lascerò mai. Ho appena rinnovato la mia associazione pagando la quota annuale e continuerò a farlo in futuro. Sono sempre stata e sempre sarò una Socia STIC, e ne sono fiera, ma non riesco più a sopportare l'idea di essere colei che sta distruggendo lo STIC.

Mi sono resa conto di non poter più rappresentare il club. Non ho né l’autorità che aveva Alberto, né la chiarezza mentale per parlare a nome del Ponte di Comando. E neppure la capacità di mediare diplomaticamente i continui dissidi interni ed esterni.

Intendiamoci, questa non è una decisione dell’ultimo minuto (anche se c’è stata un’ultima goccia di recente): ho cominciato a pensarci il 30 novembre 2014. Erano circa le sei del pomeriggio quando sono salita sul palco della Reunion senza avere la minima idea di quel che dovevo dire: ero il Presidente dello STIC e dovevo parlare delle sorprese che lo STIC aveva in serbo per gli appassionati senza sapere quali fossero quelle sorprese.

Da allora ci sono state molte altre occasioni in cui mi sono sentita un pesce fuor d’acqua e ho fatto così tanti errori che alla fine ho capito di non essere adatta a fare il Presidente.
È arrivato il momento di dimettermi.
E mi sono dimessa: adesso sono semplicemente la Socia numero 70, com’ero quando mi sono iscritta allo STIC quasi trent’anni fa.

Non so se la luce sarà più vicina ora, ma la cosa certa è che ho percepito un senso di beatitudine appena dimessa: lo STIC non merita i miei atteggiamenti distruttivi e vivrà più a lungo senza di me al timone.

Purtroppo c’è una cosa che nei prossimi giorni oscurerà la luce: non posso andare alla prossima convention, la Reunion di Riccione.
Ma questo non ha niente a che fare con le mie dimissioni. Le uniche ragioni per non esserci sono tempo e denaro.

L’anno scorso ho dovuto scegliere tra divertirmi alla Reunion e avere la possibilità di trovare un lavoro all’estero (possibilità mai trasformata in realtà). Quest’anno ho trovato un lavoro: badante a mia madre, che ha bisogno del mio aiuto fisicamente tutto il giorno, tutti i giorni. Non è un vero lavoro, non è un dovere, è un piacere aiutarla e prendermi cura di lei. Ma ovviamente questo non mi permette di allontanarmi da casa per più di qualche ora.
Sfortunatamente la tecnologia del teletrasporto non è ancora stata inventata, quindi non ho modo di raggiungere facilmente Riccione, passare qualche ora tra amici e tornare a casa in tempo per la cena.

Se guadagnassi bene potrei assumere una badante per mia madre quando non sono in casa, ma i miei introiti da giugno sono stati quasi nulli! Non posso permettermi di pagare la Reunion, il viaggio per arrivarci e la badante!

Spero di risolvere le cose in tempo per la STICCON dell’anno prossimo, ma non faccio più progetti così a lungo termine... perché non sono sicura che esista una luce a cui aggrapparsi. Ho dunque imparato ad aggrapparmi al pensiero di una luce. E questo mi basta per andare avanti.

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For my English speaking readers

I am holding to the light, but in order to keep on holding to that light I need strength, and to have strength I need to get rid of many little tiring things.

That's the main reasons why I resigned my position as a bridge officer and President of the STIC-AL.
STIC is my life, I will never leave the club. I have just renewed my membership paying the annual fee and I will continue to do that in the future. I have been and shall always be a STIC member and proud, but I cannot endure anymore the thought of being the person who is destroying the STIC.

I realised I am no longer able to represent the club. I have neither the authority Alberto had, nor the clarity of mind to speak on behalf of the bridge officers. Let alone the ability to diplomatically mediate the continuous disagreements both internal and external.

Mind you, this is not a last minute decision - although there have been a last straw lately. I started to think about it on November 30th, 2014. It was around six o'clock p.m. when I stepped on the Reunion stage having no idea what I was supposed to say - I was the President of the STIC and I had to talk about what surprises the STIC had in store for the fans not being aware of what those surprises were.

Since then there have been many other occasions when I felt out of my depth and I made so many mistakes that I finally understood I am not fit to be the President.
The moment has come for me to step down.
And I stepped down - now I'm simply STIC member number 70, as I was when I subscribed to STIC almost thirty years ago.

I don't know if the light will get nearer now, but I certainly felt a certain sense of bliss once I resigned - the STIC does not deserve my destroying attitude and it will live longer without me at the helm.

Unfortunately, one thing in the next few days will obscure the light - I can't go to the next Reunion convention in Riccione.
This has nothing to do with my resignation, though. The only reasons for not going are time and money.

Last year I had to make a choice between having fun at the Reunion and having a possibility of finding a job abroad (a possibility that never turned to reality). This year I found a job - carer to my mother, who needs my physical help 24/7. It's not a real job, it's not a duty, it's a pleasure to help her and care for her. But obviously this doesn't allow me to go away from home for more than a few hours.
Unfortunately the transporter technology has not been invented yet, so I have no way of reaching Riccione easily, spend a few hours with friends and go back home in time for dinner.

If I had a good income I could hire a carer for my mother when I'm not home, but my income since June has been almost nil! I can't afford to pay the Reunion, the travel to arrive there and the carer!

I hope I will resolve things in time for the STICCON next year, but I don't make plans this far ahead anymore... because I'm not sure there is a light to hold onto. That’s why I learned to hold on to the thought of a light. And this is enough to make me go on.


Tuesday 23 August 2016

A job I can't do... But I must

I'm crying out loud at the mere thought... I'll have to keep myself in check that day...

To make a wedding video was the only job I knew I could not do anymore, since the very first day Alberto died, I knew that I could never again be able to enter a church or watch a bride to go to the altar...

But I have not worked since June and I have no money in my bank anymore, so I must do it. It will break my spirit, but I have bills to pay...

Why, of all the job I want to do, cleaning public toilets included, I had to land this one? Why?

Saturday 13 August 2016

Another year without music

My life with you has been like being part of an outdoor concert. We were playing together and the music was marvellous. It was pleasing for us before being pleasing to the audience.
We were so happy to play that everything surrounding us was just background noise - the rumbling of storms passing by, the murmurs of people who wasn't listening to our music, the singing of birds attuned to our melody.
Then without a reason, just because destiny was cruel to us, you lost your instrument - your body stood still, not able to express our music anymore.
The wonderful music ended abruptly.

Now I keep playing, but my melody is distorted - just like a chord without a fundamental note. It's not complete. And the background noises have become oppressive, sharp, so overwhelming that I cannot play anymore.
And I wait.
I wait the moment when you will play again with me. I wait trying not to hear the noise of thunderstorms, of uninterested people... I just listen every now and then to birds, trying to give them at least some notes on to which they can sing.

And I will always wait for you.
Happy birthday, Alberto.
All my love, forever and beyond.



Thursday 11 August 2016

I'm almost out of the tunnel

First of all... It's not over yet. I have to go through a series of procedures and wait much longer to be completely free: Italian burocracy walks at a very slow pace and after almost four months I still have not seen a cent.
But last April 14th, finally I had some justice.

Mauro Enea, the financial advisor who cheated on Alberto and me has been sentenced to two years in prison and to refund us 70.000 euro.
Since 2007, he had been taking our money for his own business instead of using - as per our instruction - to pay our taxes.
Thanks to my new financial advisor Alberto Barbagallo, and my lawyer, Lanfranco Sette, both in Latisana, I was able to have justice. My complaint was taken more than seriously by the Carabinieri and despite some prorogues, the judge was strong in his sentence.
April 14th had been a testing day for me - and it's been an effort not to crush under the tension. Tears were in my eyes all the time, and after the sentence I went to the bathroom and cried loudly for some time.

Besides the final act of this long trial, I had another emotional moment. While we were waiting for the judge to decide the sentence, my lawyer asked me why I was still not able to go on with my life.
The only answer I could give was "It's not easy because I'm still madly in love with Alberto!"

Nothing will bring him back to me, and my wound will never be healed, but now I can look forward to transform our house into a museum to remember everything Alberto was and did in life.
Not in the next few months, maybe not in the next few years. But I will...


Tuesday 14 June 2016

26 with you, too many without

I wanted to post a very long dissertation today, about the lack of a purpose in my life.

But there is no need for long explanations - living with Alberto, supporting him in life and work and hobbies was my purpose.
Now I have no purpose, no goal to reach.
That's it.

I'm drifting in life, following the streams of others, striving just to keep my friends and my family out of my abyss.
And trying every day to distract my mind from the only thought that matters - Alberto is not here. And he will be nevermore.

Today would have been our 29th anniversary. It's just the fourth time I spend it alone.
Period.

See... no longer explanations needed.