On the flip side of course, the churches visited were invariably ornate. Especially as epitomized by those gold mosaics that knew no bounds in the Duomo of the sleepy town of Monreale. The churches of Sicily, not only exemplify the intensity of a Christian heritage, but usually exhibit their multi-cultural and historical influences as well. And in the case of the Duomo in Messina, Greek mythology is also in the works.
To the right was how it was billed in the brochure, and without a second thought, the old man was in. Afterall, he'd never been. His grand folks had arrived from Calabria, which was just across the Strait of Messina. Not exactly a stone's throw from Sicily, but close enough. And at a couple of points along the way, it would be within viewing distance. And if not now, when?
At 80, could he still do "one of these things"? Which is how he'd refer to pilgrimages in one of the daily reflective sessions the 30-member group would have at the end of each day in recounting their experiences. A sit-down which included two Jesuit priests, three staff members of America Media, the creators of this journey, and 25 pilgrims from across the U.S.; spanning Arizona to Boston. And while the journey at heart was intended as a quest
for personal growth, it was also meant to be one of deeper spiritual
understanding and connection with the world and some of its history. A particularly complex one where Sicily is concerned, to be sure.
Day one would begin with a walking tour through the city of Catania conducted by a guide with the most charming Italian-accented English. "Here's-ah where-ah Bellini was-ah born-ah. Not-ah de drink-ah, hey hey, but-ah de compose-ah." But while the statue of Bellini in a main piazza was imposing, and some in the group including that octogenarian, would go to an opera concerto tribute to Bellini by the Catania Chamber Orchestra the next evening, Mt. Etna reigns supreme here. You might even say, it is Catania's own personal god. One whom they adore despite the havoc it has wrought throughout its history; the lava it has rained down upon its inhabitants. Yet they have built houses upon that very hardened lava. The whole story seemingly rather old testament-like if you ask me.
While the pilgrims would find a sense of God's presence in the many churches that would be visited— especially in their attendance at a daily private mass celebrated alternatively by the two Jesuit priests—such presence could arise in unexpected ways. Out a bus window for example, as that old man witnessed one day. The sheer magnificence, grandeur and beauty of the Sicilian landscape with its rolling hills and steep valleys, so pointing to a creator in lieu of random happenstance. And when the weather had unexpectedly turned, with the sky instantly transformed, it even reminded him of an old Catechism lesson taught by nuns at least seven decades ago on the "near occasions of sin." With pen and pad in hand, he took to noting...
The presence of divinity could be felt at times, in the starkest of places. Such as the medieval church in Piazza Amerina; more an enclave than a town in central Sicily. Christianity seemed embedded in its bare stone, offering the sense that this is what it must have felt like back in those ancient days. Belief in its bare bones.
Adding to the uniqueness of this cathedral, is its adjacent bell tower which contains one of the largest and most mechanical clocks in the world. Constructed in 1933, it has a host of religious inspired automatons which spring into action every day at noon. Accompanied by a cock which crows thrice (echoing St. Peter's denial), matched by a lion who lets out an equal amount of reverberating roars of no apparent biblical reference. A whole show in itself, it goes on for twelve minutes concluding with the playing of Shubert's Ave Maria. It is a "Must-see." And once seen? Unforgettable. The old guy would shed a tear...feel a chill...at its conclusion.
But most unforgettable would be the day his chance would come to directly partipate in the daily mass by way of the reading of prayers of intention for that day from the altar. Coming too as it did on November 11th, he would realize that this was not only an American holiday, but one especially recognized here in Palermo as well, what with so many Italians who lost their lives in World War II and were victimized by so much destruction that war had wrought. Veterans, nurses, and other military personal in uniform were filing into that cathedral upon conclusion of the private mass the America Media pilgrims had celebrated in a side altar.
The prayer is reflective of so much of Jesus's message and teachings, and about which the Catholic Church is so much at the forefront these days, in particular it seems, since the papacy of Pope Francis and now being emphasized by Leo the 14th. It reads in part...
"For the most vulnerable in our society—the poor, the unhoused, the hungry, the incarcerated, the oppressed, the elderly, the infirm, the migrants, the marginalized, and the hopeless. And for our own selves in times of fear struggle, doubt, resentment or suffering....We pray to the Lord."
In concluding it should be noted, that a Jesuit-run pilgrimage coming to Sicily is not just coincidental. The Jesuits, an order started in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founded their first college in Messina, Sicily. The site of which was visited by these pilgrims. As they did to other organizations the Jesuits are affiliated with in the region in some manner.
With the long journey over, which included 35 miles of walking through those many stunning places of Catania, Agrigento, Siracusa, Monreale and Palermo—with the group and alone on those "free times" for personal exploration— the old man returned home minutes before midnight on November 13th. With the beginnings of a cold and a weakening in the body. But a strengthening in the soul. How do I know? With apologies to Sophia of Golden Girls fame, that old man was me.
Quote of the Month (Reprised)
Ruth Freeman/The New York Times
In Response to a Proustian-like Questionnaire
As a member of the Irish American Writers & Artists (IAW&A), which was begun by the late Mallory McCourt in 2008, I was featured in their most recent November 24th newsletter, by way of a Proustian-like questionnaire. Preceded by a brief note of "credentials."
This being a highly abbreviated version of such a questionnaire—they usually run upwards of 35 questions, asked in rapid succession—it contained only ten. The Proust Questionnaire was popularized by Vanity Fair magazine.
IAW&A Q&A
Ron Vazzano is a writer/poet, and his monthly online MuseLetter consisting of essays, poems, reviews, etcetera, is now in its 22nd year. His work has appeared in many literary journals, and in his book of poetry, Shots from a Passing Car. He has been a reader at IAW&A salons on various occasions and is also a member of the Independent Writers of Southern California and the Italian American Writers Association.
1. Which literary character or artist do you most identify with?
Edward Hopper
2. What or who was your first love?
Baseball. New York Yankees
3. Which film have you watched more times than any other?
Midnight in Paris (by Woody Allen)
4. What was or would be your wedding song?
For Once in My Life (though married and divorced twice)
5. Sweets or savouries?
Mallomars
6. When was the best time in history?
V-J Day August 15, 1945 (specifically in Times Square)
7. How do you sleep at night?
Fitfully
8. Why do you wake up in the morning?
To go pee
9. What are you working on?
My monthly online MuseLetter (now entering its 22nd year)
10. Is there something you’re not telling us?
Yes. What's in my journal which I started on January 3, 1978, and have been writing in without interruption for the past 47 years.
How might you have answered such questions?
Revisiting the Toy Hall of Fame
From time to time, I like to pop in on the Toy Hall of Fame online to see what they are up to. What are their latest inductees? When I last did this in 2021, joining American Girl Dolls and the board game Risk, was Sand. Sand? A toy? Of course. Consider the beach days of yore. Or the sand box.
I remember asking my son one day, how his day at pre-school was. “They brought in new sand,” he replied. Imagine that there was a time, when the deliverance of new sand could have made your day?! And for that alone is why I make these virtual trips to this unusual museum which is in Rochester, New York. To take me back in time, for one thing, but more importantly, to remember when play was once the work of a day. A trip I’d like to make in the flesh perhaps next year. Though as a rule, I don’t do Upstate New York. Nice place to see the leaves change each fall, but leave it at that.
We are aware of the benefits of toys and games and the critical role they play in a child’s development. According to latest archaeological finds, this has been going on at least since 4000 BC. The known first marbles for example, dating back to that time, are of stone and were found in a child’s grave in Nagada Egypt. Marbles by the way, were part of the first inductees at the Toy Hall of Fame's inception in 1998. And in those first two years that inaugural list included:
The total number accumulated over these past 27 years now sits at 100, what with the addition of these three 2025 inductees. Drum roll...
As taken from notes provided by the Hall...
Trivial Pursuit is hardly a kid's game. It rewards a vast breadth of knowledge, with questions ranging from geography to entertainment, from history to art, and from science to sports. Although since its beginnings in 1981, various editions have been adapted so as to be more accessible to younger players.
It's pop cultural impact has been in evidence, as it has long spread beyond the realm of a board game. A Trivial Pursuit game show ran for a season in the 1990s was revived in 2024 with host LeVar Burton. Video game adaptations of Trivial Pursuit have appeared on home systems from the Xbox to Nintendo.
Battleship plays almost the same as the earlier pencil and paper games, except it uses plastic pegs and ships. The original box design reflected the stereotypical gender roles of the day, depicting a father and son playing the game while a mother and daughter observe from the background as they happily wash and dry the dishes.
Since its debut more than 50 years ago, Milton Bradley’s Battleship game has sold more than 100 million copies. Computerized in the 1970s, Battleship received video game adaptations on PC's and home consoles.
In 1976, Mattel introduced Slime—a neon green jiggly substance sold in small plastic trashcans— it flew off the toy shelves and sparked dozens of copycats.
Though Slime sometimes carries icky associations with slugs and swamps—all part of the fun for part of its audience—the toy offers meaningful play. The tactile experience of playing with slime offers stress relief and strengthens motor skills. It encourages messy, creative fun.
____
Getting into this Hall of Fame is hardly fun and games. It's a process taken quite seriously. It may be easier to get elected to Congress.
While anyone can nominate a toy for induction at anytime through The Strong Museum of Play website or by mail, an internal committee of 23 curators, educators and historians review those nominations to create a shortlist of finalists. A "Player's Choice" ballot follows, from which three or four finalists are selected for consideration by that 23-person committee. An "Expert Committee" then makes the final choice on the basis of these criteria:
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Icon-status: The toy must be widely recognized, respected, and remembered.
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Longevity: It should be more than a passing fad and have been popular over multiple generations.
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Discovery: The toy must foster learning, creativity, or discovery through play.
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Innovation: The toy profoundly changed play or toy design.
More info than any will want to know. And process can take the whimsy out of anything. But what can be fun to remember, is the role toys and games once played in our lives or those of our children. And perhaps our children's children. And how this museum, along with the Toy Hall of Fame housed within, can take us there. Perhaps serving as reminder too, to not take our current selves too seriously.
MuseLetter \’myüz-‘le-tər noun
1: a personal message, inspired by a muse of one's own creation, addressed to a person or organization, in the course of which, the sender becomes absorbed in thought; especially turning something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively.
2: a letter from a poet, or one who envisions oneself as such, in which he or she “muses” on that which is perceived to be news, or newsworthy, usually in some ironic or absurd way.
If Only I Had Learned How to Type
Muscle memory now on its toes
pirouetting across the keys
not hunting and pecking and faking each day
in a paperless world
absent that Pavlovian ping of the bell
a signal to pull a train of thought
back into the station. Then
repeating the locomotion of getting it all down
letter by letter word by word
punctuation in proper places
with editing to follow
what with the going off the track along the way.
All in service of the primeval search
for the great life narrative.
A childhood game of hopscotch, really.
Yet, options would be at the fingertips
and all evidence balled up of the misdemeanors
those misplaced modifiers
those participles dangling
within an inch of their lives
sentences running red lights.
All with the best of intentions, your honor.
Then the pause at a block
to put up a pot
of Maxwell House “Good to the very last drop”
while emptying that cluster of crumpled crania
about to spill over
the wastepaper basket rim.
Yet effortlessly
starting over, you see
because I had learned how to type.
