US

I am not sure whether it is my age (I am already forty-four since March the 1st, and so it goes, forty-four laps around the sun, and I am grateful to be around), or the slapping and tripping of life, or because my sensitivity is increasing in proportion to the anger that I carry for too much junk in politics and economy, that when I see something which is not corrupt, I am shocked, I am moved and I thank life for the good that still exists.

For whatever reason, I have not yet lost the gift of wonder, and it impresses me more and more what that combines three characteristics: simplicity, humanity (kindness, generosity, spontaneity… ) and joy.

I was recently reminded of this beautiful poem written by my admired Eduardo Galeano, who is always lucid and inspiring, and with the title of “Us”, reads:

    Us

we have the joy of our joys

And we also have

the joy of our sorrows

Because we are not interested in painless life

this consumption civilization

sells in supermarkets.

And we are proud of

the price of so much pain

we pay for so much love.

Us

we have the joy of our mistakes,

stumbling that shows passion

and love to walk the path,

We have the joy of our defeats

because the struggle

for justice and beauty

is well worth it also when we lose.

And above all we have

the joy of our hopes

in full fashion disenchantment

when disenchantment has become

in a bulk commodity, universal.

Us

we still believe

    in the amazing powers

    the human embrace.

Yes, I still believe (increasingly) in the amazing powers of the human embrace, in tenderness, that smile, that gesture, the unexpected detail, respectful silence, in listening to the true, the sincere apology, in everything which ultimately comes from the good people, because this is really the only thing worthwhile in this life.

I wish you a happy day, in which you may find something truly human you can believe in.

Kisses and, of course, hugs.

Álex