Beauty all around

After what's happened in the past few months, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation. We couldn't sleep. We didn't know what to do. Life was far from la bella vita...

it, in fact, for a few bleak moments seemed ugly.

I've never made a New Year's resolution. Not a serious one anyway. This year, I'm not calling it a "New Year's Resolution" (because I just made it today), but I've decided that regardless of what I get handed, I'm going to try and appreciate every situation and remain as optimistic as possible about the outcome. I'm going to try and see the beauty all around, the "silver lining", if you will. I came to this conclusion as I walked down Via 4 Novembre today, dodging some construction equipment, waiting impatiently for the drilling in the street to stop so I could safely cross without getting slammed in the head by a backhoe. As I waited, I looked towards the statue of the Giant that leans into the rock towards the far end of town towards Punta Mesco.

The Giant has always had a fascination to me, besides it's obvious sculptural

beauty. Manuel told me in the olden days the top of it was actually a dance floor, and since then, I'm entranced by visions of swirling skirts and romantic music as beautiful Italian couples dreamily sweep across a dance floor held up by a Giant's heavy shoulders, perched over a vast blue sea. I don't know if that is true or not, but the statue of Neptune, damaged by World War 2 bombings as well as stormy seas, still stands stubbornly in the rock - like the people here. He won't let go, no matter what man or nature throws his way. I wouldn't either. He's got a great view.

However, in the construction after the flood, I had thought it was far from romantic now, as I've just been walking quickly by - not even bothering to make that left and stop for a minute. The jackhammer rattles in the background reminding you to move, and the huge pile of debris from the town looms to the left, but today I didn't see any of that. I took a minute to walk down to the Giant, this afternoon surrounded by crashing waves, and then again strolled down at sunset. Even with what is going on around Monterosso, there is still so much beauty here, even if it might seem like an ugly or bleak situation at the moment. Like Cinderella dressed in rags, or a beautiful painting covered

in mud - nothing, truly, can diminish the beauty and magic of a place like this.

We just have to remember to stop and actually see it.