Impatient Italians and ugly Americans

Wonderful thing for Wednesday, 13 May:

Yesterday we were in the usual traffic here in Prato; I had just finished making a snide remark about someone honking at us because we had stopped to let someone in, in front of us ("Why exercise patience when you can be impatient?").  We found ourselves in a line of traffic at a red light.  I noticed an elderly gentleman walking along the sidewalk with a cane, far up the block.  A second later, he had stumbled and fallen into the grass beside the sidewalk.  I exclaimed to Blaine to pull over as soon as he got to a nearby driveway, but the traffic stayed where it was.  In the meantime, a woman on the sidewalk had stopped to help him.  I could see they were both struggling to get him back up and steady.  As the traffic began to move, and as Blaine was about to pull into the driveway, the two cars in front of us pulled over - in the traffic still - and two people hopped out to come to their aid.

We were deeply touched that so many people cared.  I said, "They might get impatient in traffic, but they're certainly willing to help a brother out."

Here in northern Italy, people in general seem weighed down by the economic state of things.  You hardly ever see a smile - unless you smile first and say hello; then you're very likely to get a relieved smile and a return greeting.  That little incident, though, humbled me.  As we drove on our way, I realized what I ought to have been aware of instantly:  that I could have jumped out of our car then and there, and run up the block to help.

These are good, good folks.  We're ever so glad to be among them.

fun thing:

This hearkens back to Mothers Day.  Amy and Lawton had skyped Sunday evening, and while I was talking to Amy, I got notice that a call from Jared was coming in.  I saw an option to just add him to the conversation, so I did.  I can't tell you how fun it was to talk to both of them at the same time, to be making family connections with a daughter in Spain and a son in Afghanistan.

Technology is a two-edged sword, but as I said on Facebook the other day after having done Facetime with my parents in Washington, UT on our iPads, "Sometimes I'm like Kip (reference to Napoleon Dynamite); I love technology."

Case in point:  took these photos of our iPad, with my cell phone!  As Elder Bednar said at a recent mission conference, these are tools that can be great instruments for good.  We can exercise our agency in that direction, and do a great work.  Amen.

 Ben, Bonnie and Grayson

Jesse, Rachel, Camden and Weston