I opened #Oprah's magazine and stared at this page. The joyous girl with the pigeons totally entranced me. Then my eyes were riveted on the scene behind--St Marc's Square, Piazza San Marco Rome.
There are two reasons why St. Marc's
Square so attracted my attention. First, long ago from Italy by slow post came
an extra-large post card. The picture on the card was of a soldier dressed in
uniform standing alone in St. Marc's Square, surrounded by pigeons. He was
just standing there, looking toward the photographer, one hand held out, probably with food.
The soldier was my father.
The soldier was my father.
He was one of the lucky ones--sent to
Italy during the Second World War, and not to Germany. He arrived home whole and
healthy.
Second, I have stood in that square
surrounded by pigeons. While my two daughters browsed shops situated around the
square, my friend, Marilyn, and I sat at a small cafe overlooking the square.
As we were drinking alternatively iced tea and champagne--which in Italy is accompanied
by potato chips, a fellow sitting at the next table leaned over and asked,
"Do Americans always drink champagne and iced tea in the afternoon?"
We laughed, "When in Rome we
do."
After I had devoured the above picture,
scrounged around in my past, I considered the title, "Live Your Best
Life."
I am sure that's what we are doing
here--visiting this page, investigating the elusive art of living—that is trying to Live our best life.
The pigeons seem to have mastered the good life for them, they go to a place where they are fed and appreciated, and look at the fun they were giving the photographer in Oprah's Magazine's page. They have enlivened her day, and as Henry David Thoreau said, "To change the quality of the day is the highest of the arts." I believe the pigeons are onto something.
Thank you for reading.
Live your Best life,
Joyce
