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Re: TAPS
I'm sure they really liked you and made you honorary Italians. I had family in KC. You may have known of them... 
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 13, 2016 at 8:47 PM
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This reminds me of the years that I spent raising my sons in the old Italian section of Kansas City. We are not Italian but we sure got to know a lot of them and be friends with them.
posted by
TAPS.
on August 12, 2016 at 10:33 PM
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Re: BC-A
So very true.
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 12, 2016 at 7:04 PM
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The seeds of love need to be planted just the right way love.
posted by
BC-A
on August 12, 2016 at 5:27 PM
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Re: Aba
I didn't realize the unconscious at work until I wrote that to her. Enlightening on my part, also. 
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 11, 2016 at 4:46 PM
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Gives a glimpse into you. I mean the comment you wrote to Lanetay. 
posted by
anib
on August 11, 2016 at 1:23 AM
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Re: Lanetay
Well, I'm glad you found it interesting. And I'll be the first to say, it is different! I was a kid who spent a lot of time listening to the adults, much to my mother's chagrin! Often it seemed I could only hear one side of the conversation, especially if one person had lowered his or her voice when talking, which happened a lot! LOL!
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 10, 2016 at 8:15 PM
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Re: Nautikos
Thank you for the kind compliment, Naut! I was a bit doubtful on posting something like this; essentially a monologue. I, too, have learned that whatever walk of life, the Italian speaking style, especially for the Southerners (LOL), remains much the same even if the wording is a little different, especially when everyone gathers in a group, talking at once with their hands, arms, and faces animating the conversations!
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 10, 2016 at 3:49 PM
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Re: Aba
Thanks for the kind words and the encouragement, Aba. The Fowles book was quite a popular movie here. Should make for even better reading. Quite a story! Enjoy dabbling in all that new vocab!
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 10, 2016 at 3:42 PM
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interesting and different
posted by
Lanetay
on August 10, 2016 at 9:42 AM
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RP
This is very well done! I have several Italian friends from all walks of life - and you have perfectly captured their charming way of speaking...
posted by
Nautikos
on August 10, 2016 at 8:32 AM
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Wow Presta
There is so much to learn here, I love picking up different dialects, roll them over and over again to pronounce correctly, in short, dabbling in the unknown is a sort of fave pastime of mine. So, keep 'em comin'. At the moment I am dabbling in a John Fowles' Victorian style novel, 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'. It's beautifully written and one gets to learn fantastic vocab.
posted by
anib
on August 10, 2016 at 12:50 AM
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Re: WileyJohn
Thank you, Wiley! I'll bet they loved you! It can be overwhelming when there are a bunch of 'em at a family gathering, but fun!
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 9, 2016 at 7:12 PM
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RPresta
I had a close friend Tony Corozza in Montreal and this sounded just like his family gatherings where they all called me Mr. Irish .LOL Nicely written piece kiddo.
posted by
WileyJohn
on August 9, 2016 at 5:11 PM
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Re: Kabu
So glad you did liked it. It was the norm in those days for many. Made a hard life harder, imho. Yes, they could learn to love their husbands, or not! In small ways, my grandmother was a bit of a rule-breaker where custom was concerned, for her day. Sounds like yours was too, or certainly would have been! Yes, the dowry system was always at play.
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 9, 2016 at 1:07 PM
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Re: C_C_T
Always like your comments, CCT. Ah, but Rosa did speak; we just didn't hear her. We hear the responses to her words through those of the 'visitor.' By pausing between the sentences of the 'visitor,' one should be able to ascertain much of what Rosa is saying. Yes, things are different today. I had not thought to fill in the conversation, but now that you mention it... Hmm, I could go there. No, not in Italian. English, though. Sorry, I don't know Cockney. LOL!
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 9, 2016 at 1:03 PM
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Re: Katray2
Thank you, Kat! Glad you liked it. What you say is very true. This specific microcosm of Italian culture in this specific time and place in history had unique idiosyncrasies that often make reading about it now a very different kind of story.
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 9, 2016 at 12:53 PM
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Re: FSI
Very glad you liked it, FSI. Also happy that it reads true.
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 9, 2016 at 12:44 PM
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I loved the dialogue and how many women have found themselves caught in the web that is arranged for them. lots of young women have no intentions of marriage , can one blame them.
I believe my Grandmother loved grandfather but she longed to live the life that I have lived...travel and write, have a career and be finacial independent. She was finacially independent. She had her own land but it became her husbands on marriage.
posted by
Kabu
on August 9, 2016 at 12:16 PM
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Rosa did not get much chance to speak,but one can imagine her being faintly amused by the assessment. I just cannot imagine it happening much today,but folk were more interested in their neighbors in your Grandmother's day. I quite like this nostalgic episode. Are you going to fill in the conversation? Not in Italian, we only speak rural English or Cockney excerpts.
posted by
C_C_T
on August 9, 2016 at 11:49 AM
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Powerfully authentic, RPresta! Great writing; gives a fascinating glimpse
into a culture I've always been interested in. And shows the strength of women who across the ages and world, do the heavy lifting for their families whist being considered the weaker or junior "partner." No matter the circumstance and heartache, onward they toil. 
posted by
Katray2
on August 9, 2016 at 5:59 AM
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I like the interactions you have there. The realness of them comes across in your writing.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on August 9, 2016 at 4:54 AM
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