Seems like the tv and newspapers have been harking on almost daily about the decay of society, vandalism and rampant bullying in Italian schools and the breaking down of family values with anarchy and destruction just around the corner.
Every now and again it does you good to stop, try a deep breath, look around and take stock of what is happening in the community and to check for yourself if the doom mongers are correct and all is lost and we are all on the way to hell in a handbasket or maybe ….. just maybe there is still a glimmer of hope in the distance.
How about taking a kind of “litmus test” of the health of society around us as we all march towards what should presumably be a better educated, more progressive and caring future.
The barganews book exchange is one such litmus test. Would it be possible to set up and run a public book exchange where people would have their own key to let themselves into and out of the library and would be on their trust not to take advantage of the system ? Now in its second year and going from strength to strength, the barganews book exchange has over 2000 English books on the shelves and many, many more out in members houses and continues to show that it is in fact, a workable idea that gives something back to the community.
Litmus Test (language), An English colloquialism:any kind of social indicator used to classify someone either favorably or unfavorably
The signs are good – the sense of responsibility at the book exchange seems to point towards a healthy social awareness and maybe we can still keep the seemingly unstoppable encroaching mindlessness and selfishness of a lot of modern life at bay.
Maybe another example of hope for the future can be found in a far different venture than exchanging second hand books.
Once a year a group of people work together to dam up a small stream to make a larger body of water to swim in during the hot summer months. The construction work takes many weeks of hard labour as they use boulders, rocks and logs to dam up the water to create the 2 -3 metre deep pool.
Local people know where the pool will be created and is a favourite spot for those who do not want the carefully controlled ambiance of the swimming pool but prefer a more wild and natural habitat to relax in during the summer heat.
It is one of those delightful traditions that have gone on for generations in this area, Nobody is ever paid for the work but each year without fail, miraculously the pool is there to be used.
What started out as a simple damming up of a small stream has over the recent years developed into something even more splendid. The group has started to plant sunflowers along the side of the stream. Large splashes of bright yellow lighting up the dark greens of the shaded foliage down at water level. This year there were a couple of vines planted and some tomato plants near to a stone picnic area and even a large open oven to cook in.
The end of the season is marked by the dismantling of the dam before the winter flood waters push it back down the mountainside and a festa for the group that did all the work – except that the work was still not finished.
It was another long working day as they built some large wooden tables and chairs for their expected guests at the festa. An eight kilo pig was slowly roasted over the open oven on a long spit which was hand turned for over seven hours until it was deemed ready to offer to their guests.
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So why are the images used in this article censored to cover up the identity of this group? Quite simple … the work that they do is in the grey area of what is considered legal. Damming up a water supply and cutting down trees at the stream could be construed as an illegal activity punishable by a large fine. The Forestry Police come along each year and check on the area. As long as they do not find the group actually working on the dam when they pass by then they turn a blind eye and the tradition continues.
While this kind of activity is still allowed to take place, I reckon that all is not lost in our community. Long may it remain.
Years ago in my little California Gold Rush town of French Gulch, young men and old dammed up a little creek and made a lovely swimming pool. It was shallow at the lower end and deep at the upper, so beginning swimmers could learn, and good swimmers could dive and race. Every fall they took the dam out, so the fish could spawn and sediment would flow downstream with the winter rains and snow melt. Then the government decided it should become a County Park. They built a semi-permanent dam, which was never completely demolished for winter. Now, there is a wading pond in summer because the once lovely swimming pool is filled with sediment. The natural park is paved with concrete.
Save your natural swimming pool and its dam, Barga!
The nonchalance with which Italians regard law is a lovely thing when it concerns things like ostensibly “illegal” dams on rivers and community swimming pools. But it also explains their habit of finding an outright crook like Berlusconi amusing and simpatico, and mindlessly voting for him. Guess you can’t have it both ways, but it would be nice if we could swim in the Corsonna without also drowning in the mire of Forza Italia.
well… I can swim and vote Berlusconi, surely won’t drawn in the liars of Prodi…
I find quite meaningfull instead how Italians’ way of getting around obstacles is linked to the fact we can vote reasonably for him…
I don’t feel in the mire of anyone but Visco and next time before idotically comment, count to 5, at least.
It would be interesting to hold a referendum on which of the two previous comments is idiotic.