I Loved Your Article

by Maria Gillis
(Revere, United States)

Wow, your entire story about "anyone over 40" is almost word for word exactly how I grew up in Massachusetts. Our countries aren't very different after all.

I'd love to visit some day, as there is some Scottish heritage in me. My Dad's parents were both from Newfoundland, as were their parents. Before that, they were from Scotland, England & there's Irish in there somewhere too. My other half is Italian.

My neighborhood, city of Revere - named after the famous Paul Revere who warned the colonists on horseback that the British Red Coats were coming (10min North of Boston) was almost all Italian and Irish, with some Jewish between the 1940s -1980s.

The Irish & Italians didn't like eachother and stayed on their own sides of the same city. Meanwhile, I got along with everybody because I had relatives from East Boston (Italian) & relatives from South Boston (Irish /Scottish).

What is funny is how many Irish /Italian marriages we've had in this country, and it's always been a good mix.

Anyway, I loved your article, and it's so true. No one plays in the streets anymore, kids are getting lazier, fatter. My Dad was a Boston school principal (headmaster) and he was fed up in the end at how those in charge cared more for their agendas and putting their own friends in power, than about the children.

I swear, it's all totally backward.

But at some point, it will turn around. Hopefully, we can instill some of our values in our children...and make an effort to take them places, shut off the cell phones, go outside & play until the sun goes down.

When I visited Italy, things were slower, but in a good way. No one was racing on their lunch hour to get back to work. I couldn't find a clock anywhere- that was the oddest thing. They go home and eat a real dinner with their families, then return to work (eventually).

Work gets done, but I don't think they have the stress & heart attack rates that they have in the U.S. They also have a month or more completely off (like we did when we were kids). They know how to enjoy Life.

I'd like for us to be a little more relaxed in that way, but it probably won't happen as it's engrained in us to work, work, work. Well, I work - to save enough money to go on vacation!! Then I go see how others live around the world & my eyes are opened.

I love my country but I think we all can learn from each other too.

Anyway, I've babbled on too long.

I enjoyed your words & your website.

Maria