marzo 2010 - Anno 2 Numero 1 - Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia ...

something that we do. For Carlo
and his friends the place of the
souls is a bike ride on a Sunday
morning; group therapy for men
that need to get together and,
while doing a physical activity,
activate the bonds of friendship
and community in a masculine
way. They could never do this
without their bikes. They are not
the type of people that can sit
around a cup of tea and speak
about life. They need an excuse,
an occasion, they need their
bicycles because bicycles become
a place of themselves, and
there they can create an oasis
of communication and bonding.
And as the miles ride by, so
do family problems, troubles at
work, impossible relationships
with women, debates about politics.
They look forward to this
social appointment for the entire
week. For days ahead, they
anticipate the sense of complicity
and physical gratification that
derives from the get-together.
They yearn for it while at work,
while at home, during a difficult
discussion with their wives,
when life gets tough in general.
The pleasant noise of the spikes
on their bikes echoes in their
ears and the gentle hum of the
wheels speeding on the ground is
a source of relief in itself. Until
the next Sunday…
Madone di Mont.
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Madone di Mont
Madone di Mont, near Cividale,
is Sunte’s place of the soul. She
is usually driven there in her
grandson’s car, but there were
good old days when she could
climb the hill on her own legs.
Climbing up the hill creates a
sense of anticipation, it is like a
stairway to heaven. When at the
top she always does the same
things: she takes a quick sip of
water from the fountain of the
little square and she admires
the breathtaking view from the
balcony below the church. These
simple actions open up her soul
to receive the peace of mind that
she always finds there. And then,
finally, the church that she enters
with awe and respect, almost as
if she was entering her own piece
of heaven. She dwells there as
long as her grandson’s impatience
will let her. Time never seems to
be enough because while in the
church she takes a journey into
the sad or happy feelings of her
life, into the intuitions and the
fears that populate the hearts ☛