We’ve been talking about presidential elections for days. While it says first, second and third, the blank grades continue to dominate. Yet the political parties have not determined their common candidates. So we Italians say “piano piano!” which means, “slow, slow”. Now is the time to explain our “don’t be in a hurry” philosophy. Slowly it is the best expression of doing something in a slow but perfect way, that we live in the moments, not the past or the future. For example, as you run to the elevator, your lovely neighbour in the building might smile and yell “slowly!” Our dinners take a long time. Because we eat “slowly.” The goal is not to eat, but savour the moment slowly with friends, colleagues or family. Or when you say that learning Italian is difficult, the same language comes back. Or you are moving to a new home. “How is it going to be?” a positive smile, saying “slowly!” can clear all the clouds of anxiety …

Piano with many meanings, as an adverb, means “slowly, gently, carefully, calmly”. Or when there is a plan, when it is repeated, it means “slowly or little by little”. Pour the oil slowly (add oil little by little), slowly we arrived (we got there slowly but surely). Or it is also used as a recommendation. Like “go slow, don’t worry, you’ll get there”. it is also used to mean “keep quiet”, “be kind” or even “keep calm”.

And our second language, our hands, is also active as usual: we raise our palms; we push down several times: and we push away.

Let’s go back to our topic. Nobody should worry that there is not yet a name for the 13th President. Italians try to do a job slowly but live in the moment and in the best possible way. Slowly but surely, we achieve what we want …