This Is The Price That You Pay For Perfection
“You are a strange man, Ludovico,” complained Alessandra Benucci. “You say that you love me, but you care as little for me as you do for your career.” Ludovico Ariosto looked out of the window and did not reply immediately.
His new job as governor of Lucca was difficult and his salary meagre, but the beauty of Tuscany never ceased to astonish him whenever he looked outside. “Sometimes, you have to slow down to prepare yourself for a long run,” answered Ludovico, shrugging his shoulders. “Anyway, at this moment, this was the only job I could get.”
“But you promised that we would get married soon,” went on Alessandra, walking up to him and setting her hand on his shoulder. It was June of 1516 and, in three months, Ludovico would be 42 years old. He turned around to face Alessandra and saw his promises reflected in her eyes.
“I am just asking you to have a little patience, my love,” he said, taking in a deep breath. “We will be married as soon as I have saved enough money to lead a proper life.” How often had he tried to explain that to her? A hundred or a thousand times, it didn’t matter.
Ludovico had changed jobs often, always moving forward, working endless days only to be able to devote his nights to his passion. After years of efforts, he had just completed his poem “Orlando Furioso,” although he was still planning to make some revisions.
“You should just let it go as it is now, Ludovico,” exhorted Alessandra. “Your poem is more than good, it is even more than wonderful! It is high time for you to forget about it and work on something else. Why don’t you write a Venetian comedy to please the Bishop? Or a song dedicated to the Duke?”
During the following eight years, Ludovico saved as much money as he could from his small salary. Shortly after his 50th birthday, he fulfilled his promise and married Alessandra. The couple purchased a small farm near Ferrara and retired to live there.
When Ludovico Ariosto’s poem “Orlando Furioso” was published, only eighty six copies were printed. During his retirement in the farm, his revisions of the poem never ceased. It is believed that he rewrote parts of it at least two hundred times.
Little by little, the reputation of “Orlando Furioso” began to grow. By the time Ludovico was 57 years old, his poem had been already reprinted many times and was already considered the work of a genius. Ludovico, nevertheless, continued to make new revisions one after the other. After his death, Alessandra Benucci published the final version. It was absolutely perfect.
JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living and is the author of the books “When everything fails, try this” and “Rationality is the way to happiness.” He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance and self-reliance. See http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com a blog about rational living.
JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living and is the author of the books “When everything fails, try this” and ”Rationality is the way to happiness.” He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance and self-reliance. See John Vespasian’s blog about rational living.
Reciting Mom’s poem for her birthday.
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50th Anniversary Gift Poem – I Do, The Finest Words Ever Spoken
A poem written on behalf of a daughter for her parents to present to them on their 50th wedding anniversary.
Anna wanted to express what good, solid, loyal parents they are. Parents who love God, the church and their children. Their devotion and loyalty to their children are appreciated. That they are honest with their dealings with others; they don’t take sides with anyone. They are, she believes, soul mates.
I Do
There are good and bad parents in this world,
a definition that, at times, is hard to make,
but when you strike really great parents,
well, that simply is the icing on the cake.
So, what defines greatness?
I guess it comes from the very inside,
and I know that I could not have picked finer parents,
I could not – even if I had tried.
You see, I have good, solid, loyal parents,
parents who love their God, their church and their own,
and I am just so very grateful to them,
I am very thankful for all the love that they have shown.
They have been my inspiration in life,
They have been my guide, my shining light,
They have steered us to tread on good grounds,
and their love has shone so constant and bright.
Their love has shone through their patience,
and at times, I will admit that I have put that to the test,
their love has shone through their guidance,
and some of their advice has proven to be the very best.
They have always taken the time to talk to us,
for that we thank them with all our hearts,
they have played such a significant role in our lives,
and they have both played a mighty fine parts.
Dad was always a good provider,
but also he provided his wisdom to share,
he taught us morals and values for living,
and that it was always important to care.
He is actually a very generous man,
but does not believe in wasting anything,
conservative in his nature,
always cautious about what tomorrow may bring.
My mother is also my friend,
and I am so proud to be her daughter,
she has a warm gentle spirit,
she is like streams of free flowing water.
I remember my sister and I racing to untie Daddy’s boots,
He had be tired at the end of his working day,
he would sit back and rest,
and we, of course, would then go out to play.
I remember sitting at breakfast on a Sunday morning,
and naturally, we would all say Grace,
and I remember John running behind the truck,
you should have seen the look upon his face.
And we have so many happy memories,
too many to be individually told,
but those memories will last many a lifetime,
precious treasures that we will always hold.
Because, it is simply wonderful when two people live their lives,
in a way that others notice and want to be like that,
it is nothing to brag nor boast about,
but rather, something to be thankful for, and that is a fact.
Because, when soul mates live in harmony,
others see it and desire it too,
and I think the finest words ever spoken,
were fifty years ago – and they were “I do”.
Copyright Allen Jesson 1998
Looking for a special Wedding Anniversary Gift? For many years now, Allen Jesson has specialized in writing the perfect anniversary gift in the shape of a bespoke anniversary poem for 1st anniversaries and way beyond, so far the record being a 60th. Any takers for a 61st?
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