On a positive note

After almost three weeks of trying to contact a friend and former colleague in Italy to check on his well being I finally got an email back from him last night :flower: :clap:

I had become very alarmed at not hearing from him and reading about the conditions in Italy. It is easy for me to understand the spread of the disease in Italy---they are very social beings---it is core to their culture. In his response email he sent me a virtual hug. :cool:

He and his family and all the rest of our former "crew" remain safe---and locked down. He is in the midst of the worst area. Our plant was in Tuscany and he lives further north near Milan.

He did confirm conditions in Italy are very difficult at the moment and they have gone to measures very similar to us---but not soon enough.

Email filters can make bad calls and for the most part they can go unnoticed and that is what happened here---I am grateful it was a filter problem and nothing worse :clap:

The disease is satanic enough, but to have it concentrate its vicious effects on the most gregarious and social of people seems a fresh kind of hell to me. The Italians are a beautifully convivial and sociable lot, and that those admirable traits contrive along with their aging population to especially harm them is a crime of nature.

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Originally Posted by wacojoe

The disease is satanic enough, but to have it concentrate its vicious effects on the most gregarious and social of people seems a fresh kind of hell to me. The Italians are a beautifully convivial and sociable lot, and that those admirable traits contrive along with their aging population to especially harm them is a crime of nature.

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I could not agree more. Of all my long term assignments I enjoyed Italy beyond all others, not only is the country lovely the people are lovely--and loving. Of the languages that I can functionally speak Italian was the easiest to learn--not because the language is necessarily so easy but because the people are so encouraging and patient. I will admit my years of Latin, once thought a waste of my time, helped in the learning process.

There was a time that I thought of moving to Italy when I retired----but as I got older the "presence" of family became more important.

This was my "home"---and "my family" while in Italy.

Yeah well let me apologize in advance I'm much more concerned about our citizens in New York City and possibly in New Orleans and other potential hot beds that have been named. I certainly wish no harm to anybody in Europe or China or anywhere else but I also believe that your country has to protect its citizens

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Originally Posted by Honda

Yeah well let me apologize in advance I'm much more concerned about our citizens in New York City and possibly in New Orleans and other potential hot beds that have been named. I certainly wish no harm to anybody in Europe or China or anywhere else but I also believe that your country has to protect its citizens

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I'm sorry for you. Obviously, you are without friends or others that you might care about. If you did, you might understand that compassion and concern are not limited as finite emotions to be doled out in rationed amounts---nor is their supply diminished when shared widely.

I think most of us can encompass good will and beneficent thoughts about foreigners without diminishing our strong feelings and intentions for our fellow Americans. I know I certainly can. This is not a zero sum game. I just happened to have formed good thoughts about Italians in general, as well as many others, but not all.

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Originally Posted by wacojoe

I think most of us can encompass good will and beneficent thoughts about foreigners without diminishing our strong feelings and intentions for our fellow Americans......

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Agree!