Onion

As I was slicing up yet another perfectly ripe onion to toss in some oil it struck me that Roma is very much like an onion.  What you see on the surface is only but a hint of what lies beneath.  I read a book once that my dad loaned me written by a priest who loved to cook, but perhaps more than cook he loved the process of cooking.  He took  an entire chapter to describe an onion.

Now as I sit here I connect more with the process he went through in examining and discovering the beauty of the onion.  I feel I could spend the rest of my life peeling away layers of Roma and never fully understand this Eternal City.  I am not just talking about the layers of dirt and the history of the place, though of course that must be part of it, but then there is the language, the peoples, traditions and cultures.  Yes, I say peoples and cultures plural because should you spend some time here you will quickly discover just how multicultural and diverse this city is and has been through out history.

Sure there are Italians, but there are also people from all corners of the Globe who call this city home.  Some having just set foot on Italian soil and others having been here for generations.  And each of these people groups add their own special layer to the city.

Like an onion, Roma can be bitter and sweet, depending on the amount of time you take with it, and how you approach it.  You may love it one day and feel sick to your stomach the next about it.  Like an onion there are things that will bring tears to your eyes and things that will comfort you (if you are like me and love sauteed onions).

For example the art and architecture here rival any in the world, they will bring you joy and speak to your very essence at times.  But the trash, graffiti, homelessness and needy will bring you to tears.

But all of this is Roma and so, so much more.  I have barely tasted it, and today it leaves me hungry for more.