There is an italian saying : Dolce far niente, which means the sweetness of doing nothing.
It sounds really easy at first, you would think so.
How hard can it be, after all?
Try it, I tell you, it takes practise.
On this hectic western society, where everything is measured by money and achievements,that has something to do with work, doing nothing can be quite a challenge.
It is frowned upon, since it certainly sounds lazy, and we are taught NOT to be lazy.
We are taught ,that we must work hard, that we must earn money and spend money, to keep the economy on its feet.
We are definetely not taught to kick back, slow down and smell the flowers...
Well, you can smell the flowers and slow down, when you have a day off or holidays...if you are lucky to have any in the first place.
But even the holidays and vacations seem to be full of activities from dawn to dusk, which has to be executed ...
- fly to destination - tick
-go to the beach - tick
-go to the sightseeing tour- tick
Etc etc..
A good traveller doesn't have permanent plans nor one tries to arrive at the destination / Laotse, Tao Te Ching
I have now managed to slow down with moderate success.
As I was sitting on our market square early saturday morning minding my own business and enjoying my sandwich, I witnessed a busload of Chinese tourists heading towards the market square.
They all had their cameras and off they went with making memories from that very moment and that very place.
I was munching my sandwich and waved smiling to these visitors, ending up to be in a several family albums somewhere in that huge country with a big wall.
I was no Carrie Bradshaw, I definetely wasn't wearing Manolo Blahnik's and it was not the big apple, but that very moment - I owned the city, and I didn't need expensive shoes to do that.
I had it all , the time to enjoy that particular morning, the freedom to do as I pleased, and I did it with grace and style.
But it doesn't come without a price tag..
So many questions, and so little desire to answer.
I owe no explanations to anybody.
I have chosen my path, made my sacrifices to grap a hold of my dreams, so I need not answer any questions whatsoever.
I still need to make my compromises, pay my dues to live dolce far niente.
Everytime I put on my apron and go to work that I did not chose for myself, is a one step closer to my ultimate dream.
And my dream has nothing to do with fancy houses or haute cauture, or expensive five star vacations.
My dream is the freedom to be me,
without having to wear on the mask of an extrovert, and with the luxury of being able to breath freely.
My ultimate freedom is to have all the time to wander and explore, to be an idle traveller, moving slowly, taking it all in without a rush.
Walking is freedom!
