"Attraversiamo" - oftewel De Oversteek

"Don't you know that the secret to understanding a city is to know the word on the street?"
He went on to explain, in a mixture of English, Italian and hand gestures: "Every city has a single word that defines it, that identifies most people who live there. If you could read people's thoughts as they were passing you by, you would discover that most of them are thinking the same thought. And if it turns out your personal word does not match that One Word, you do not really belong there."
"What's Rome's word?" I asked.
"Sex," he announced.
"But isn't that a stereotype?"
"No."
"Surely there are some people in Rome thinking about other things than sex?"
Guilio insisted: "No. All of them - all day - all the time. All they are thinking about is SEX."
"Even over at the Vatican?"
"Ah, that's different. The Vatican isn't part of Rome - they have their own word there. It's POWER."
"Hmm, you'd think it would be FAITH," I offered.
"It's POWER," he repeated. "Trust me. But for Rome, really: SEX."

Now if you are to believe Guilio, that little word cobbles the streets beneath your feet, runs through the fountains here, fills the air like traffic noise. Dressing for it, seeking it, considering it, refusing it, making quite a game and sport out of it is all anybody is doing. Which unravels the mystery why Rome, in all its gorgeousness, doesn't feel like my hometown. Not at this moment in my life. Because SEX simply isn't my word right now. It has been at other times, but not now. Therefore it spins through the streets, bumps into me and wanders off, leaving no impact. I'm not participating in it, so I am not fully living here. It's a kooky theory, utterly impossible to prove -- but I sort of like it.

 

Op dit moment ben ik het boek Eat Pray Love aan het lezen, waarvan inmiddels een Hollywood verfilming is gemaakt met de la Roberts in de hoofdrol. De film was al heel aardig & ik moet zeggen dat het boek me erg bevalt, erg raakt. Al vrij snel in het verhaal vraagt ze (Elizabeth Gilbert) zich af met welk woord ze zich optimaal kan identificeren -- sterker nog: de vraag is; "welk woord bén ik?" Haar antwoord is het Italiaanse attraversiamo.... of zoals Roberts tijdens haar Bali avontuur op romantische fluistertoon zwijmelt; "let's cross over..."

Nu natuurlijk de vraag, en geen easy one, aangezien ik gek ben op woorden; "welk woord ben ik?" Niet alleen een beetje, of doorgaans/meestal/volgens velen - maar echt voor de volle 100%, if there is such a thing. En volgens Gilbert is dat zeker zo. If you really start looking. Nou, daar moet ik dan toch achter zien te komen. Al hoop ik dat er geen wereldreis voor nodig is. (alhoewel...!)

Iemand suggesties? Of 'eigen' woorden gevonden? (er kunnen toch rustig meerdere zijn - of slecht one word to bind them?)