Looking Back at 2023

Father Time with Baby New Year

I’ campo ancora (I’m still living) ~ motto

Looking back at 2023, I have a lot to be grateful for. First and foremost, I survived a massive heart attack in mid-August and the doctors said by all rights I should not be here. Apparently, God has other plans for me. My somewhat offhanded joke at the time was: “A heart attack was way too easy, God has a more painful death in store for me.” I hope this is not some self-fulfilling prophecy, but just in case, I’ve taken to praying to St. Joseph for a Happy Death.

Keeping my resolution to live a more fulfilling life, I'm trying to make the most of the time allotted to me and striving to better myself both spiritually and culturally. Devoting myself to a less active and more contemplative lifestyle, I’m doing my best not to take the little things in life for granted or get upset over things I have absolutely no control over (e.g. politics). Easier said than done with all the bad news constantly being shoved in our face, I really enjoy lampooning the dirty cloacae in power. It seems, I still have a lot to work on.

In addition to prayer and meditation, I’ve been immersing myself in poetry, philosophy, and all sorts of artwork. I've been visiting museums, parks and libraries, as well as spending as much quality time as possible with family and friends. Clearly, at this point in my life, I’m past my prime and in physical decline, but without the slightest hint of exaggeration, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am today. Despite what the wet blankets have predicted, my newly acquired euphoria thus far has not waned.

Requiescant in pace

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Not without loss and sorry, a beloved aunt and a younger cousin, her son, died just eleven days apart from each other this year. While death is never easy, she was sick and suffering for a long time. We pray she is in a better place. My cousin, on the other hand, was in the prime of his life. A hard-working and devoted father of two young sons, he was good-natured and admired by everyone. I’m not looking to fuel conspiracy theories, but he and his father (my uncle) both began having seizures after getting the COVID vaccine. I believe his life was cut short by the jab. May they rest in peace.

Living the dream

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.” ~ Edgar Allan Poe, Eleonora (1842)

On a more positive note, I was knighted again in April—this time into the Royal Order of Francis I. [1] Bestowed by HRH Prince Carlo di Borbone, Duke of Castro and Grand Master of the Order, the investiture ceremony was held at the Columbus Citizens Foundation in Manhattan and, to my great joy, presided over by our esteemed Delegate and dear personal friend Gr. Uff. John M. Viola.

An incredible honor, I don’t know many people who actually get to live out their childhood dreams. You see, as a kid, while my friends wanted to be astronauts, cowboys and the like when they grew up, I always dreamt of one day being a knight. The suit of armor and the charger are missing, but the code of chivalry and the Quest for the Grail is alive and well.

After God, Naples [2]

Sarò con te,
E tu non devi Mollare,
Abbiamo un sogno nel cuore,
Napoli torna campione! [3]

In May Napoli won their Third Scudetto and, even though the team is struggling to retain their title this season, we’re still celebrating the great victory. Replete with memorable moments, it was truly a remarkable achievement—one we won’t soon forget. Grazie ragazzi e Forza Napoli Sempre!

Numbers don’t lie, but they can be manipulated

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” ~ Attributed to Mark Twain, who mistakingly attributed it to Benjamin Disraeli

Significantly less important than the items touched on above, but I guess still worth mentioning is that we reached over 2,000,000 visitors in September. Some have made more of this achievement than I think it deserves. I personally don’t put much stock in these numbers because there are too many questionable variables surrounding them. For all we know they can be bots, referrer spam or haters.

Whatever the figures, I still maintain that this undertaking is primarily a cathartic exercise to help flesh out our own thoughts and occasionally offer our opinions. If people happen to find it interesting and enjoyable, so be it. We don’t claim to speak for the Duosiciliano Community or even a large part of it, nor do we want to. As we have said in the past, this is not some popularity contest or cash grab. We prefer quality over quantity.

Better than all the figures, the single most rewarding moment throughout this endeavor was when a young man found us at church and told us we were the reason why he returned to the Faith. If for nothing else, this made the whole venture worthwhile.

The coming New Year

"Give me a condor's quill! Give me Vesuvius' crater for an inkstand!" ~ Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

Looking forward to reaching our 15th Anniversary this March, we appreciate all our supporters and often pray for your intentions. Invigorated with new life and conviction, we will continue to work hard and do our best. Happy New Year and God bless you all.

Notes
[1] In May 2016 I was invested into the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George by HRH Prince Carlo di Borbone, Duke of Castro and Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City.
[2] Neapolitan slogan quoted from The Passion and the Fashion, edited by Steve Redhead, Avebury, 1993, p.93
[3] I’ll be with you,
And you must not give up,
We've got a dream in our hearts,
Napoli, become a champion again! ~ Napoli football chant