An Italian In Panaca Part 2

Norfolk Broads, England

Sitting around a big table, at the B&B in Panaca, my wife and I enjoyed chatting with the Italian couple seated across from us. The man in particular seemed to drive the discussion. He clearly enjoyed engaging with us, and we discovered a mutual interest in England. 

We told him about the places we had visited in England, and he told us of the places they had visited. Freshest in our mind were memories of our 2017 trip, when we had explored the university town of Cambridge, toured the Norfolk Broads, and seen Norwich Cathedral. Yet we shared experiences from our other trips as well.

As Europeans, the Italian couple's way of life seemed closer to that of people in England than ourselves. Yet we discovered that they loved many of the same things we liked about England, and disliked the things that bothered us as well. We had visited some of the same places, and were able to compare notes on our stays in those areas.

He and his wife lived halfway around the world from us. They didn't even share the same first language. Yet in this man and his wife, we had found a kindred spirit, someone with mutual interests, and a similar, while still different, point of view.

That's incredibly rare, in my experience.

Norwich Cathedral, England

After awhile, the woman brought out breakfast. She had never asked anyone what they wanted, and gave everyone the same thing: a flour tortilla filled with eggs, cheese, hash browns, bacon, and sausage. We probably wouldn't have ordered it, but we enjoyed our breakfast burrito. Still, it was a far cry from most of the B&Bs we visited in England, where you're given a menu to order from, and they prepare your food exactly like you want it.

The one part of the conversation with our Italian friends that stuck with me was the man's description of Brexit. In America, Brexit is an afterthought, given little or no real attention. Many people may not even know what it means. 

I had viewed the Brexit process as a change in regulations that businesses and ordinary people in England and throughout the European Union would adapt to with a modicum of discomfort. But the Italian gentleman told us about people living in his country who had lost their jobs because of it. He spoke about Italian businesses that had shut down because they would no longer be able to do business with England as readily as before. He talked about the people living in nearby towns and villages suffering because local companies had ceased operation. 

He spoke about families that were being broken up because of it. Britain's membership in the European Union had made it easier for citizens of different countries to marry and live together. Britain's withdrawal from the EU meant family members would have to physically move from one country or another, either for work, or to raise their children.

Thus, Britain's withdrawal from the EU represented a tragedy for his friends and neighbors. Yes, they would find a way to navigate the legal and regulatory changes, to adapt, and to move on with their lives. But in the meantime, they were separated from their loved ones, struggling to get by, and wondering how they would put the broken pieces of their lives back together. 

Despite having visited England five times, and talked with many Brits on each of those trips, I never understood the full implications of Britain's desire to leave the European Union. I may not understand why Brexit is occurring, any more than I understand why the United States seems to be retreating from processes and structures that have historically led to greater international cooperation. At least now I better understand how Brexit will affect people living in England and European Union countries in significant ways. And that's all because I took a less-traveled road on our vacation, and stayed in a little town called Panaca.

Dragon Dave