It was a winter’s morning in Bolzano, and we were taking a walk around the town centre. I had just seen a top that I thought I could use, but I didn’t want to undress to try it on. The sales lady who was about my size offered to try it on so that I could see what it looked like on. We were sympathetic towards one another. It was like we were friends although we had never met before. She tried on the top, and I decided it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, so I didn’t buy it after all that. Once we were out on the cobble-stoned street again, Enzo Forgione, the friend we were visiting (an architect who has turned his passion for Citroens into a successful business, as well as my favourite Italian), asked me the following, “ What do you do when you meet a woman more beautiful than you?”
I was thrown by the question because this was something that had never crossed my mind. I found myself wondering why I was being asked this instead of giving an answer. In a moment, he asked the question again and I heard myself saying, “ I don’t know because I have never seen a woman more or less beautiful than I. When I look at others, what I see are people who have made different choices based on their own unique life circumstances.” Then I went on a little bit more as I wasn’t sure I was making sense. I am my experiences, the things I have learnt, the things I have done, and the things that have simply just happened. There is no one else that has had exactly the same life as I.
When I look at other women, I see people who have decided to spend their time and resources on different things. For example, some may have spent this morning looking after their businesses, investments, their gardens, their homes and/or their children. Others may have spent their morning in the gym perfecting their abs and the rest of their bodies, or on a mat meditating. The list is endless. The differences that are sometimes observed are based on these different choices.
my shoes don't hurt 