Everything but the Wolf

Not a wolf. Definitely not a wolf. In the sporting world that is tantamount to blasphemy. The nonwhingeing side of the world prefer the zebra - darting forward and untameable (indomabile). But enough of that baa-business.

Those of you who are lucky enough to have the Mediaset channels will have certainly tuned in to the last episode of Il Senso della Vita hosted by Bonolis. Yesterday's climax featured none other than the person whom Bonolis called "Il Maestro Benigni". What ensued was over an hour of autobiographical commentary by the Master ranging from his relationships with Jim Jarmusch, Nicoletta Braschi, Enrico Berlinguer, Azeglio Ciampi, Karol Woytyla to his oscar winning performances. I loved the descriptions of Vergaio and Misericordia - the two villages of his childhood. You glow with a southern pride when you hear the ambience of the villages which contributed to the development of the child comic. You could not but feel a part of the bar where they met to create the "Ottavine" those improvised rhymes about political topics where one performer would try to outrhyme the other. That too is part of our heritage... that too is part of what the common people could be when at their best.

There is something about Benigni that makes him superhuman. It could be his simplicity. Whatever it is, if I had to make a list of the persons I would definitely want to meet... Maestro Benigni would top the list.