My house is near the sea – a walk, the distance of maybe 30 yards. Within my neighborhood, there is a very diverse environment. Because it is off the beaten path and a little quirky, there are buildings that were built 35 years ago without the proper zoning; Because the zoning was non-existent, there are these “shells” of a house – several in fact.
(But I don’t mind, because it keeps the developers away).
These houses are homes to the geckos, a couple of cats and are part of the route my friend, the Shepard takes while shepherding his goats.
As I sit on my dondola (framed swing) in my garden,
I know that the goats are coming because I hear their bells and the whistle of the Shepard. They will stop along the way and eat the bougainvilla that cascade off my fence, or eat the greens growing in the middle of the “road.” They will take the path of the lungomare (road by the sea) or they will take the road of mankind. The road of mankind happens to be a two lane – barely. When the goats are on the road, you will become a participant to a lesson in life – PATIENCE. Sometimes the Shepard is really groovin’ and the wait is 10 minutes, other times…….Now, although I have lived this many times, I am always delighted. Especially since my patience scale is pretty non-existent.
Another thing that is pretty amazing is the color of the flowers in Sicily, whether they are wild or cultivated. There are those who may think, “What is this tangent and where is it going?” This is the thread – springtime in Sicily brings the flowers of the Almond Trees. Almonds are a cash crop in Sicily, but that comes later. In Agrigento, there is a festival of “I Fiori dei Mandorli” Along the way, blown on the road to patience are individual Almond blossom petals floating in and among the round clustered dropping of the goats. So, as I was living life in the moment of the goats, as they left their droppings in the middle of the road, I let my mind wander but didn’t collect my thoughts until later in the day.