I spent Thanksgiving dining on a five-course Italian dinner in Napoli. It was definitely a Thanksgiving to remember. My host's young son asked, "can you tell me what Thanksgiving is in Spanish for my class?" Hmmmmmmmm, Thanksgiving on November 26 is specifically a U.S. holiday though other countries have their own harvest celebrations throughout the autumn. Ours with Indians and turkeys and yams and roasted corn; ours is particularly U.S.
Visiting with friends in Napoli was an experience in cultural differences. They are a military family living the Italian lifestyle in a villa overlooking Lago Patri. High ceilings, marble staircases, decorative wall tile, a rooftop patio and courtyards tiled and landscaped were only part of the home's ambiance. Every direction revealed eye candy brought back from European jaunts.
Their daughter dances with an Italian ballet company; their son played soccer in an Italian league (a winning one at that!). Their neighbors and friends are a collection of characters from a novel that I'll be writing soon, an ensemble of people from many countries, their children sharing Italian as a common language. Standing back at the train station while the nine-year-old discussed our travel plans in Italian with the ticketmaster was worth the trip. Watching her wag her finger in protest while negotiating a boat trip, a miniature Italian with flowing blond hair, adds a touch of humor. An evening's entertainment with the children imitating the dozen or so repetitious AFN commercials was absolutely hilarious.
These little personal touches will enhance my Italian memories beyond the wonderful meals, the ancient buildings, the local trains, the highways without speed limits and drivers without rules. I will remember twilight, strolling along the narrow, ancient, brick road with other couples who linked arms, taking time to appreciate living life for its simple pleasures.
Did you ever complete a very special project with perfection and hope for recognition?
I once believed that "doing one's best" would eventually lead to some reward, some evidence that the right choice was made.
Any project, from writing a book to packaging a gift, needs to reflect the best effort even if the product is not perfect. It is the best effort that leads to self-satisfaction and pride in one's abilities. If the project is, in fact, perfect, the lack of recognition should not be taken personally. Recognition is a bonus, not an expectation. If I do my best, I have kept my agreement that leads to a more rewarding life.
During this holiday season, many wonderful people throughout the world will be doing their best to please their loved ones, to cook a great meal, to travel long distances, to enjoy gifts that miss the mark and to genuinely appreciate the season.
Remember the paired agreements and not takes things personally when the best effort is either lacking recognition or totally fails. Make agreements this holiday season to do your best and not take things personally. Let it be a time of giving from the heart with no expectations and enjoying a full measure of peace and serenity, joy and gratitude.
D. K. Christi's "Rose's Questions" is one of the short stories in THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW anthology, twenty stories by nineteen published authors. Don Harpe, one of the contributors, wrote the following introduction:
The Amazon Shorts program only lasted a couple of years, but in that short time it breathed new life back into the realm of short stories, and provided a platform for legendary authors as well as some of the most talented new voices in the country to showcase their very best short literature. This anthology of short stories written by a group of those Amazon Shorts authors was the brainchild of Lana M. Ho-Shing, who first expressed the idea on an Amazon Shorts discussion board. E. Don Harpe then suggested writing stories using the courtyard view of THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW as the theme, they asked for submissions, some very talented authors replied, and the rest, as they say, is history.
THE PREMISE
Imagine, if you will, a building of unknown origin, a building in which there are many rooms, each with a window that looks out upon a courtyard in which can be seen a very ordinary scene. In each room a person sits, staring out the window at the same people and objects that everyone else sees, and yet as we tell our stories we learn a basic truth of the universe. We learn that even though our eyes survey identical courtyards, our minds take us to places that only we know about, remind us of stories that only we can tell.
Outside the window there is a winding country lane leading into the distance. There are two boys, perhaps 10 or 12 years old, tossing a baseball about. A girl of maybe 7 or 8 swings on a schoolyard swing set, while two lovers walk hand in hand along the side of the road. A ramshackle old mailbox sits on a slanted post, and nearby there is an old car, possibly from the ‘50s, in what appears to be running condition. Down the lane we see a church steeple, and an older lady walks along the side of the road, seemingly headed for the church. A young soldier stands behind her, his face is pensive and it is plain he has much on his mind. Two men are in a heated discussion about something, but from inside the window we can only guess at what, and nearby a beautiful girl sits on a park bench and weeps. An old dog lies on the grass, peaceful and serene, as a puppy frolics nearby. As day changes to evening and then to night, we see a twinkle in the sky. A falling star, or perh aps a starship?
Day or night, the same people are always there, waiting, making no comments that will give us any clue about who they are or what they may be doing. They are actors, we think, waiting for us to give them their roles, show them some direction. Each of us can choose one character or all of them. We can walk down the country lane, drive the car, or follow along behind the woman as she heads for in the direction of the church. It is our world, and we have total control of everything in it. What happens, we make happen. Loves, lies, war or peace, death or life, shackled to earth or bound for the stars, it is all ours to decide.
We sit at the window, taking in the complexity of the courtyard, and after a few hours of pondering, we sit back, relax as much as we can under the circumstances, and use our minds eye to peer into a world that we can shape into anything we wish it to be. We think for a few moments, seeking inspiration and clarity, and slowly we make our decisions. Only then do we pick up our pens, only then do we begin to write our journals of the World Outside The Window.
Many very talented Amazon Shorts authors saw the promise in this world and we are proud that they came aboard to offer their view of what goes on there, in the courtyard, in the World Outside The Window.
Coming soon to your local bookstores!
