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Waiting for Godot

Well, after the past February general election, we are living in Dante's limbo. Of course, Italy is far from being considered even a deficient form of Heaven, but I will say that right now, it's more like an almost perfect version of Hell!

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Barbara Morana
Barbara Morana

My family, like the rest of the Italian citizenry, are waiting for something to happen, waiting in vain for Godot to arrive. During this endless wait, to occupy our time, we do futile things like sleeping, eating, working (for those of us who have a job, of course), talking about Pope Francis and commenting on our politicians' diverse intentions, all made with the goal of bringing Italy and Italians out of this nonsense!

Last Saturday, a wonderful sunny day, some friends and I went for a seaside promenade to Mondello, the most popular beach immediately near Palermo. The sandy beach was crowded with people. They were all there: kids, parents, grandparents, singles, gays, straight, old, young, pets, celebrating the power of the sun.

In fact, a sunny day can make you forget about everything including politics, money, Grillo, and Berlusconi. You're left with feeling alive, blessing the moment the sun shines on your body and soul, and reflecting on the miracle of life.

Well, it can seem naive but it works. Beaches, markets, squares are packed, as everyone converges there to forget their problems. Lot of people are also rediscovering emergency preparation (bread, pasta, biscuits and many other things), which allow them to spare some euros meanwhile they are spending some quality time with their family preparing food.

After having attended the Easter Mass, many Sicilians went to grocery shop at local street markets, in order to find their goods for a lower prize. Parents spend more time outside with their children, fresh air and green lawns are free, with a couple of euros they can have a pleasant day outside their homes.

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Barbara Morana
Barbara Morana

We try to live a normal life while a very popular comic is mocking our entire country. A sort of interim Prime Minister is stopping anyone he encounters in his path to sign up for his new government, while President Napolitano names 10 wise men in order to get out of our gridlock. Our beloved national Silvio is too sick to appear in court but he miraculously recovered a few days after to call for new elections during a political demonstration in Piazza del Popolo in Rome.

We live in a wonderful, strange country, Italy today is like an old sick lady you have to assist, and we, Italians, like Vladimir and Estragon in Beckett's play, instead of acting we keep on saying:”Well? Shall we go?-”Yes, let's go”, but at the end the only certainty is that: “THEY DON'T MOVE.”