Decoding The Italian Way Of Life . . .

Everybody sort of has some sense of the Italian Way of Life. We say this in the middle of our journey through Italy as we arrive in Verona (shown above).

People have picked up on the Italian Way from movies, literature, history and the popular culture. They see Italians as fun-loving, demonstrative, gregarious, passionate, even tempestuous. And people who may feel themselves a bit inhibited are drawn to this. Can you blame them?

They are drawn to the Italian idea of La Dolce Vita — the sweet life — and they want to know what is about about Italians that seem to make then so in tune with life itself, with the notion of La Vita E Bella — that life is beautiful, no matter the moment or the circumstances.

Well of course the truth is that Italians are not always sunny and fun-loving even though sunny Italy can seemingly bath you in its omnipresent charm. Italians have been through wars, floods, dictatorial governments, earthquakes, plagues, economic crises, pandemics and a myriad of other horrors. 

But Italians do appear to have a way of getting through even the most adverse circumstances and a way of surmounting challenges that might discourage others. And much of this comes from their admirable ability to live in the moment and savor every moment of life, especially the simplest and what might otherwise be the most fleeting moments. By preciously soaking up life’s delicious moments Italians armor themselves against the sour, disappointing arduous and even tragic moments that they know will invariably come their way.

And, of course it helps that they consciously and irrepressibly surround themselves with beauty. They adore fine design, pulchritudinous creations, finely made goods, great music, art, literature and so forth. For Italians, one exquisitely tailored outfit is worth much more than 10 cheaply made disposable versions. And every moment that you step out in public is a performance (and opportunity to see and be seen) so why not look your best? Because, if you look good — if you take care of yourself and exhibit pride in yourself and your own persona — then, you will feel good as well and perhaps the feeling will be contagious.

Which is to say that there is no magic to the Italian Way of Life — no secret. It comes from a culture and an upbringing with a distinct way of looking at the world, encountering the moment and acting on it. And this is a lifelong quest. It has to be, otherwise it would not be authentic; it would not take; it would not weld.

So, we’ll conclude with the words to a song from the Broadway musical Nine, based on Fellini’s 8 1/2:

Be a singer be a lover

Pick the flower now before the chance is past

Be Italian

Be Italian

Live today as if it may become your last!