Day 1/2

Today I voted. It was less exciting than previous times and, as I am celebrating consistency these days, I just voted in agreement with my stronger instincts. Rest assured, I do have arguments to back them. However, I prefer to not preach, to myself or others. I see democracy in my country as just another interesting social and historical experiment and I enjoy allowing myself to be just another tiny wheel in the larger engrenage.

What I felt quite clearly was awareness of how easily we are coaxed into embracing certain attitudes and amazement at how efficient the most simple manipulation tools actually are. Yesterday I asked the professor in my constitutional law class about the implications of the referendum for our legislative. Her answer was brilliant in its simplicity and depth. She merely pointed out something I ought to have known as a graduate of political science. She explained the nature and outlook of this particular referendum (as an exercise of pure public consultation on a given subject, with no necessary legal or political consequences) and then elegantly swung through examples of similar exercised throughout Europe in recent years.

So I returned home from the vote happy to have ticked off the shinier item on today's to do list. Julie and Julia were waiting for me, as was the lingering scent of this morning's kitchen experiment (butter IS the key to all things tasty).There are no coincidences, even if many things are perfectly explainable in terms of our subconscious busily piecing together bits of reality that we strolled by and serving them up at what it deems to be the right moment. A single pink rose received from a waiter when leaving a sad drink and a dream behind can be God's way of rewarding courage and composure. Just as the persistent windshield washer at every morning's traffic light can be God's agent too, reminding me to take a fresh, clean look at the world every day.

PS ... the windows are wide open.