Sorry this will be a short post. I spent the day (well 4 hours) in line for the h1n1 vaccine for my kids. It wasn’t too bad. We were the first in line out of hundreds and out of there pretty quick once it opened. Poor kids screamed bloody murder though. One of mine lost a shoe trying to get away. They put on quite a show. But got over it quickly. They need to go back in four weeks for another one. Mamma mia.
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What is it about those Italian women? You know the ones I’m talking about: beautiful, sexy, dressed to the nines just to take the kids to the park. They have a certain something that is indefinable. It is in the way they dress, the way they prepare their meals, the way they spend their leisure time.
It is because they know the importance of la bella figura. Roughly translated from Italian, it means putting you best foot forward in everything you do. It means cutting a beautiful figura. The opposite of la bella figura is la brutta figura, which is what someone might say about the falling down drunken guy at the party or the super tackily dressed woman at church. It means ugly figure. La bella figura is much more than your appearance. It goes much deeper than that. It is about how you act. It is about how you treat others. It is about how you care for yourself, your home and your family. Living a life in line with la bella figura doesn’t take money. In fact, it is more about how to have class without a lot of money. Someone who exudes la bella figura will have clean, pressed clothes and be well groomed. They will not be rude or sloppy. Their fingernails will be impeccably groomed. Their hair shiny and clean and their shoes will be polished. They will not have stray threads hanging from their suit hems. They will not be driving a car in need of the car wash. La bella figura means driving that 15 year old car and meticulously cleaning it and caring for it. It means keeping your belongings in good repair. It means taking time to clean your house and not cluttering it up with meaningless objects. When you focus all your spare energy, time and money on the things that bring you the most amount of pleasure, then you are truly living a life in line with la bella figura. The best part about it is that you don’t have to be Italian to do so. You just have to think like an Italian. Italian children are raised to present la bella figura in whatever they do. From the time they are small and are groomed perfectly to attend church or school, they know that appearances count. They count because it is the first thing people judge about you. That first impression does matter. Appearances are also important because when you take the time to look nice, you are showing that you care about yourself. When you care enough to look good, it shows you have good healthy self esteem. Nothing is more attractive than self confidence. In addition, dressing nice also shows respect for others. If you invite people over for dinner and greet them in flip flops, baggy sweats and a stained shirt, it is really disrespectful to them. The same if you dress sloppy to go to church or even to the market. By dressing nicely and being well groomed, you show respect for everyone in your world. Having la bella figura means presenting yourself in the best light possible in all your interactions. |
I know you’re in the US but here in Canada, the powers that be, decided that healthy children 3 – 10 don’t need a second shot. Check it out before you head back.
I have a deal with my daughter where anytime she gets vaccinations, she gets an ice cream cone. This routine has worked well for us. Hopefully your next trip will go more smoothly and with much less of a wait.
Kristine,
I’ve promised everything under the sun, sleeping in bed with me, popiscles, cake, special dinner, stickers, etc. They still throw a fit. Sigh.
Jeanette,
They should be able to get the flumist next time — couldn’t this time because of a runny nose …. but thanks for saying that because now I feel like they have a really good level of protection even before they get the booster.
Thanks everyone for your compliments on the photos. I wish I could show you some of the stupendous wedding photos but my brother wanted to keep them private …
Wow – 4 hours! you must have the patience of a Saint. I realise that your kids health is the most important thing though! I hope you had a great time at the wedding and those photos are simply amazing!I also have something for you over at my blog
Guess I’m lucky my kid is motivated by sugar. But with 4 hrs, not sure she could have held out anyway.
Thanks Lunasa!
As soon as I have a sec I’ll get on that! That was nice of you to include me!